Young people across the North West will gain valuable new insights into careers in local media through a major new programme delivered by Education and Employers this year.
Delivered through an innovative partnership with the DCMS, News Media Association as the sector body and local media organisations, Inspiring the Future of Local Media connects primary and secondary school students with people working across the industry. This includes journalists and editors, as well as digital content creators, production teams and many more roles, and forms part of the DCMS-funded Discover! Creative Careers service, supporting pathways into the creative industries.
Running from April to October 2026, the programme is working with schools across the region, with the ambition to reach 10,000 young people through the support of up to 250 local media volunteers. It has a particular focus on reaching young people in disadvantaged areas who may not otherwise see careers in local media as accessible or relevant to them.
Meeting the people behind local media
Through a mix of in-school and virtual activities, students will meet people working across local media – and hear directly about what they do and how they got there.
For many young people, careers in the sector can feel out of reach or “not for someone like me”.
Our research shows that meeting people from the world of work helps to broaden young people’s horizons, raise aspirations and increase motivation to learn. It also helps challenge stereotypical views about jobs linked to gender, ethnicity and socio-economic background.
By meeting people from a range of backgrounds and roles, students can start to see how these jobs connect to their own lives.
And that they are roles they could do too.
More than just talks
The programme combines one-to-one and small group encounters as well as larger multi-school showcase and themed events, to give young people variety and depth of experience of careers in local media.
These engaging activities include:
- In-person classroom sessions with volunteers
- Larger showcase events with guest speakers and interactive elements
- A mix of in-person and virtual activities accessible to multiple schools
- Large-scale virtual events reaching thousands of pupils
This is about helping children understand there are lots of different careers available in local media. They’ll also discover there are different routes in, and what they need to do in school to put them in a good position.
“If young people don’t see who works in an industry, it is much harder for them to imagine themselves in it.“
Nick Chambers, CEO, Education and Employers
Why this matters – and why the North West
Local media plays a vital role in reporting on decisions that affect communities and ensuring that local issues are seen, heard and acted on. It reports on the issues that matter to people – reflecting different voices and experiences, and highlighting challenges.
There is a growing need to attract a more diverse pipeline of talent into the industry, so that the people shaping media better reflect the communities they serve.
This six-month campaign will bring together media employers and employees who can contribute as little as one hour of their time to speak to young people about their careers. Volunteers will be supported with resources and age-specific guidance to deliver in-person or virtual school visits, helping young people better understand media career pathways.
The programme will also support young people to better understand the role of journalism in society and build confidence in identifying trustworthy information online.
The North West has a rich media landscape, with nearly 150 titles serving a population of c7.5 million, and thousands of professionals working across print and digital media – making it well placed to lead this work.
“We are delighted to work with Education and Employers and DCMS to support this new initiative to connect newsrooms in the North West with the journalists, editors, and commercial talent of the future.
“Local journalism reaches huge audiences across all platforms, and I hope Inspiring the Future of Local Media will encourage lots of young people to consider a career in this exciting and dynamic industry.”
Owen Meredith, Chief Executive, News Media Association
Get involved
Schools and local media professionals across the North West can now get involved.
If you work in a school, it’s the perfect opportunity for students to hear directly from people working in local media.
If you work in local media – whether locally or further afield – join in and share your experience to help inspire the next generation.
