The National Council for the Training of Journalists’ latest careers guide – aimed at getting more people from a “range of backgrounds” to enter journalism – has been published.

The booklet, which is sponsored by the Financial Times, is being sent to all secondary schools, colleges and job centres across the UK.

Features of the guide include first steps to get started in journalism, insights from alumni working in a range of roles, and advice on how to choose the right training route.

It also features listings of all NCTJ-accredited courses.

Abbie Scott, deputy managing editor of the FT, said: “At a time when one story has continued to dominate the news (and our lives) it is important not to lose sight of the facts, and to focus on serving our readers and the communities they belong to.

“In order to do this, newsrooms require journalists from a range of backgrounds and experiences to enable them to produce stories that connect with our audience. This is not only true of news, foreign affairs and politics, but also art, sport and entertainment.

“The Financial Times and the National Council for the Training of Journalists want students from all backgrounds regardless of ethnicity, religion and sexuality to receive gold-standard journalism training and feel welcome in our newsrooms.”

Emma Robinson, the NCTJ’s accreditation manager, adde0d: “Sending out this annual careers guide to schools and colleges means we can reach out to students about the exciting prospect of making that first leap into their journalism career.

“We want students to choose the right journalism course with the NCTJ to give them the cutting-edge skills and knowledge to operate in the newsroom to professional standards.

“As ever, the guide is packed with useful tips and advice from our students and alumni, who are all making waves in sports journalism, podcasting, investigative journalism and more, plus discussions about what it’s been like to start a career in the middle of a pandemic.

“The guide also gives students information about how to make a head-start in their careers right now to help make their mark from the outset.”