2016-12-07T14:00:16+00:00

Josie Verghese works in secondary schools with young people and teachers - preparing them BBC News School Report, for The Pitch and the project's annual News Day. She is encouraging more BBC staff from across divisions to volunteer their skills.

'We all have transferable skills to bring to School Report volunteering, and that's an important message for the young people, too'

The best bit of my job is going in to schools and working with young people - they never fail to surprise me and I really value stepping out of the BBC bubble and meeting our audiences.

My visits are to find out what they want to get out of taking part in School Report and show them that it's all possible.

I didn't begin my career as a journalist or working with young people. I was a secretary and PA at the beginning; I've worked at Children's and Sport; I took my NCTJ journalism qualification when I was part of the Newsround team, It's important to point out that you start somewhere and your career is a journey. And sometimes you don't know where it's going to take you!

Often when you visit a school you become the VIP in the context of being from the BBC so it's important to reflect the different roles and departments - to help them past thinking that it is only about being on television.

Josie, left, on a School Report visit

They often haven't thought that we have lawyers, people working in finance, coders and project managers, for example. Career options and aspirations seems to be an increasing focus for many schools and so sharing my story has become an integral part of my conversation with students.

During my visits, I get them talking about what they think news is, and learning about this is good intelligence for me and my School Report and wider BBC News colleagues. I am there because I want to gauge what they know and what they want from us, as well as find out what is on their news agenda - what the current classroom currency is and what they care about.

I try and always keep it informal - sitting in a circle not with students behind lines of desks - so they don't think I'm some corporate person or this is another boring school thing. Teachers love that School Report is about team work, so when we've warmed up I'll ask a young person to take notes and, if appropriate, someone else to take photographs, and someone to work on some quotes from the session. This means the teacher has then got something to follow up on with them on once I'm gone.

I've said they always surprise me, but I'm no longer so surprised that the BBC isn't the first place that this age group looks for news and stories. Social media is an integral part of their world.

Popular subjects with them when they get warmed up are crime and we work on how this is relevant to them - for example feeling safe in their neighbourhood and in their lives; or the education system and their experience of the changes to it; and needless to say it is rare not to hear about how much they love vloggers, YouTubers and celebrities.

Mental health and wellbeing seems to be increasingly popular in a broader sense too - from anti-bullying and cyber bullying to annoying siblings; from exam stress to body image.

We look at how stories are all around them - with me reminding them often they are the story and news isn't always something 'other'. I worked with a group talking about sport and they didn't seem that excited about it until one of the boys revealed he is a karter and has this ion and hobby and they realised they had a story under their noses.

My role is to work with them as a journalist, and once we get warmed up they love a bit of industry jargon to add authenticity and realness to their reporting activities - for example when we start story-development they love the idea of a news peg. It gives them something tangible to work on and start investigating, if only relating to an event due to happen at their school.

They also often start to see personal stories, events and things happening in their communities with that in mind.

I like to help them see that news isn't something other - it's not what someone else makes and it's not just about someone else - I want it to be more about them, relevant to them, and with them.

School Report has a broader responsibility around media literacy. I find that even teachers won't necessarily question sources of news let alone the young people. If something is on Facebook or comes from something branded, they'll trust that it is true and real - as soon as something is from a big band it's perceived as the truth.

So, when I can I will also work with the groups on thinking about the source of a particular story, who has written something and looking at whether it is balanced and what the agenda is of the author.

This may not sound like rocket science but I think we often forget that we live and breathe the media landscape, story-telling - and schools don't!

You don't need to be a BBC journalist to volunteer with BBC School Report. We all have transferable skills to bring to School Report volunteering, and that's an important message for the young people, too.

And you can be a remote mentor - from your desk - being a sounding board for a teacher running the project in his or her class. We have this model because we know not everyone can get out from behind the desk in their role at the BBC but they still want to be involved in media literacy.

You can encourage them to realise their ambitions. We've had School Reporters interviewing Mark Carney, Angelina Jolie, Malala, the last three Prime Ministers and too many sportspeople to mention. It's true that sometimes the BBC brands helps to open some doors when young people ask for an interview.

But I hope it is also true that by meeting someone in person who works for the BBC they realise that it isn't all showbiz, remote and just what they see on the TV or iPlayer. Rather they can be part of it - whether by sharing a story idea through School Report or perhaps pursuing a future media career.

BBC School Report is a partnership between BBC Academy, BBC News, BBC Sport, and BBC Children’s - it gives thousands of 11-16-year-old students in the UK the chance to make their own reports for a real audience, using lesson plans, BBC learning materials, and the help of BBC mentors.

BBC Outreach & Corporate Responsibility brings the BBC closer to its audiences - particularly those audiences we have identified as harder to reach - with face-to-face activity, community and staff volunteering.

2016-12-07T11:09:22+00:00

Kalpana Boodhoo always knew she wanted to be a radio journalist. Now she's helping to inspire teenagers into a career in broadcasting.

'I want to inspire the younger generation, and make them realise that a career in journalism is very much achievable'

I have been a Broadcast Journalist for the last 13 years and 2017 will be my fourth year as a BBC School Report Mentor. As part of my day-to-day job at BBC Hereford and Worcester, I read the news, produce programmes and report on the biggest stories in our region.

When I was at school, I knew I wanted to work in radio, but I had absolutely no idea how I would go about achieving that dream. I did various things like record my own radio shows on my cassette player in my bedroom and volunteer for the student newspaper, but I didn't know anyone who worked in radio to find out what working in broadcasting was really like.

This was my main motivation for becoming a BBC School Report mentor. I wanted to inspire the younger generation, and make them realise that a career in journalism is very much achievable, and hopefully giving them some of the skills to set them on their way.

The first school I worked with was Trinity High School in Redditch. They had never done BBC School Report before, and seeing the enthusiasm from both the pupils and the teacher was so exciting.

They were all brimming with ideas and keen to tell stories that reflect their own lives, whether that be bullying or the pressures of exams. I was keen to help them develop these stories and turn them into radio. They continue to be part of BBC School Report.

Whenever I work with a school, I make School Report News Day part of BBC Hereford and Worcester's output. I will take the Radio Car to the school in the morning during the Breakfast Show, and do live reports throughout the day, so listeners can follow their progress.

I will also get some of the young reporters to read news bulletins, do the weather and the sport live on the radio.

It's not only great experience for the school, but it gives us as a station the opportunity to hear from some of the younger voices in our community and find out about the issues that are really important to them. We have also had BBC School Report pupils go on to apply for work experience with us.

I spend about three months working with a school leading up to School Report News Day. I will give informal lessons on how to find news stories, then help reporters develop their stories and secure interviews.

BBC School Report has given me the chance to get out and meet some of the younger people living in Herefordshire and Worcestershire and give them a voice on the BBC. I've enjoyed helping them share their stories and give them the skills and the s they need if they ever choose to pursue a career in broadcasting.

BBC School Report is a partnership between BBC Academy, BBC News, BBC Sport, and BBC Children’s - it gives thousands of 11-16-year-old students in the UK the chance to make their own reports for a real audience, using lesson plans, BBC learning materials, and the help of BBC mentors.

BBC Outreach & Corporate Responsibility brings the BBC closer to its audiences - particularly those audiences we have identified as harder to reach - with face-to-face activity, community and staff volunteering.

2016-08-09T14:51:51+00:00

When Rachael Smith dreamt aged 14 of being a journalist, it seemed unreachable. Now she is a BBC School Report mentor encouraging the next generation.

‘I knew instantly that I had to be a mentor’

Nine years ago I walked into my first school not knowing what to expect. I was Miss Smith and not Rachael, and I was BBC the brand rather than just a journalist. I met my teacher and shook her hand: ‘we are on this journey together,’ I said.

g up to be a mentor for School Report was an easy decision for me. The reason for this goes back to when I was 14 years-old and in my careers office being asked ‘What is it you want to do?’ I knew my answer was in something creative but I couldn’t sing, dance or act that well. What I could do was talk and so I thought the best place for me was in reporting.

At 14 years old, the thought of me working for the BBC seemed like an unreachable dream and so when I finally got a job as a journalist I was thankful to see that BBC School Report existed and I knew instantly that I had to be a mentor.

Volunteering as a mentor is a rewarding two-way experience. I get to keep my skills fresh and I learn and develop new skills whilst schools I work with get to develop in a variety of ways.

One school I’ve worked with has gone from not knowing what School Report is to running a year-long journalism group, where school reporters work as mentors to younger pupils. Pupils from this school are continually seeing the benefit of journalism as part of their learning; so much so that one ex-School Report pupil was accepted on a highly-competitive US journalism exchange programme.

Some schools I have worked with are classed as hard-to-reach, which means that they are schools in communities that may not be accessed by the BBC in other ways. What it means for me, as a mentor, is that I have to be mindful of the complexities that a teacher has to consider when taking on a project like School Report - factors to consider, be that financial, social or cultural.

Before I visit a school I discuss expectations with the teacher on the phone so that they know who I am; what I can do and also I can hear a little about their concerns or queries. Each school has their own unique way of working and this means the guidance I provide the teacher or worker can vary depending on their needs. It may mean looking at different ways that the pupils can tell the story they want to or finding creative ways of running news day on a tight budget.

If I make a school visit I will usually run a session with pupils that encourages them to think about what story they want to tell and show them how easy it is to find a news story if you look for one.

School Report has given me the opportunity to work with schools on some fantastic stories: from showing knife crime through animation, running a BBC Question Time style discussion during an election year, through to watching the 2012 Olympic torch being made and interviewing Lord Coe.

If you think School Report produces ‘soft news’ I would challenge you to take some time to really listen to the pupils involved and you’ll see they have as many similar concerns as us adults.

I am always joyfully surprised by the focus and dedication of the schools involved in School Report. I am looking forward to being a mentor in 2016/17 and I know my 14-year-old self would be proud.

BBC Outreach & Corporate Responsibility brings the BBC closer to its audiences - particularly those audiences we have identified as harder to reach - with face-to-face activity, community and staff volunteering.

2016-08-09T09:07:22+00:00

Nicola Stead is a peer mentor for the Queen’s Young Leaders scheme, ing future young talent to work in the media.

‘I am proud that my mentee is now getting paid work experience on TV’

I wanted to be part of this scheme with the Media Trust and BBC Outreach so I could help someone gain confidence, help bring out the skills they already have, and find out what skills they need more experience in to the industry.

I know how hard it is to express what you can do and where you wish to work. What exactly are my skills? How could working in a shop help in a production job? Well, quite a bit actually!

There are so many jobs here at the BBC and in the industry as a whole, so it can be difficult to know where to start.

The QYL scheme has a wide range of people on it, from different backgrounds and different levels of experience.

It can be frustrating at times if your mentee cancels appointments or doesn’t show up. My mentee couldn’t meet me for the first couple of months due to personal issues and though at first I just wanted to get stuck in with working with her, I knew that the best thing to do was to keep through email and take it at her pace – as this is the scheme for her – not for me. I am here to help her.

There are things I am not too sure about myself within the industry. For example, my mentee wants to work in drama and although I have not worked in that department myself, we have looked at the skills needed and then ways in and s. You will be quite surprised with what you do know yourself.

It is all about being there for someone to talk to and for them to trust you. You are never on your own and there is a huge network of people who can help you as a mentor.

So if you don’t know an answer to a question, you can ask your QYL networks, who are always very happy to help.

The main thing I have found is to be able to help give confidence. You don’t have to be a producer or someone on a high grade to be a mentor. I am a researcher and using my skills, experience and background I am able to help someone in ways that at first you think you can’t.

I am proud that my mentee is now getting paid work experience on TV programmes and also has paid work as a production assistant on a film. It is about encouraging her to network and let her know she is doing the right thing. Again, building confidence within herself.

I am so proud of what my mentee has achieved already.

2016-06-14T17:17:38+00:00

Affie Jeerh is one of the BBC’s peer mentors with the Media Trust’s Queen’s Young Leaders programme. She works at the BBC Academy in the Entry Level Talent team.

'It’s so important to have an open and honest conversation about what you both expect'

Agreeing to be a mentor has been a very personal journey for me and I hope it inspires others to do the same. Offering employment advice, which could change the circumstances for someone, is a big responsibility which I embrace - knowing I am part of the journey for them to discover and tap into their full potential.

It’s a good fit for my role – I am part of the BBC Academy’s Entry Level Talent team; we are concerned with attracting people interested in BBC apprenticeship and trainee schemes in Journalism and Engineering.

Across all the schemes we’re really looking to bring in budding new talent. We want the BBC to reflect the wide range of audiences that we serve – everything from Radio 1Xtra’s Fire in the Booth to BBC Two’s Newsnight programme - and everything in-between. The way to do that is by having a broad mix of people who can reflect our audience’s different interests and ions.

My first mentoring session, I met my mentee, Letitia (I've changed her name), 19 years old, who has already been through quite a lot in her family and personal life – she completely blew me away with her resilience.

It is so important for us to build a mentoring relationship of trust, respect and judgement. People don’t want pity but someone who can help them unlock their true potential. Really focussing in the sessions helps us to establish what’s important to her and what is obtainable but also understanding it can’t be done overnight.

I believe keeping things relaxed eases the pressure, especially when meeting for the first time. It’s so important to have an open and honest conversation about what you both expect from the mentoring sessions and agree when setting the goals.

For me the objective is to listen and when I mean listen, I mean listen and NOT hear what you think you want to hear, if that makes sense!

After our first session, Letitia didn’t waste any time to apply for a recent opportunity for one of the gold-standard BBC training schemes. We will be meeting up soon and I can’t wait to hear what else she has been up to. I’m excited!

BBC Outreach & Corporate Responsibility brings the BBC closer to its audiences - particularly those audiences we have identified as harder to reach - with face-to-face activity, community and staff volunteering.

2016-06-08T15:22:53+00:00

Sally Williams from BBC Inside Out volunteered to work with a group of young adults developing their CVs and interview skills at the BBC in Salford. A day long workshop helped them reassess their key achievements to date. They were part of the Queen’s Young Leaders programme, which is for 18-25 year olds interested in working in the media.

‘You could visibly see their confidence soar as they rewrote their CVs’

As a 15 year old at a large Comprehensive School on Merseyside, I was laughed at by the visiting careers officer when I told her my ambition was to work at the BBC. “You’re a pretty girl, have you thought of being a hairdresser?” she said with a waft of her hand. The BBC, it seemed, didn’t employ people from my background or from my school. The BBC wasn’t “for me”.

It took almost 10 years to realise my ambition when I was accepted on the BBC’s prestigious Trainee Reporter Scheme. It took a further 10 years for me to realise they hadn’t made a mistake and I wasn’t going to be found out and turfed out of the Corporation for having been to the wrong school in the wrong city.

The careers teacher was wrong; the BBC was for me, just as it’s for everyone of us. It’s this sense of injustice and anger that young people could be discouraged from pursuing a career at the BBC that made me sign up to help at the workshop. I feel very strongly that if the BBC is to remain relevant, it must be staffed by people who reflect our audience.

Queen's Young Leaders gaining confidence at the BBC in Salford

The sessions were for young people aged between 18 and 25 years. They came with varying degrees of confidence and experience, but what they did have in common is they all turned up on time ready to learn, and they all wanted to work in the media. The day started with an excellent session led by Alex Dalton who stressed the importance of good storytelling. This was valuable in helping the young people communicate in a powerful way and to really think about their experiences and skills.

The shy young woman next to me who’d insisted she had “nothing special” to offer was soon opening up and telling me how she spent time in her bedroom writing scripts for TV dramas that she hoped would one day be screened by the BBC. Another young man who was a carer for both his parents had set up a radio station at his college and was presenting his own show. He’d been told at the Job Centre to forget any dreams of working in the media.

The highlight for me was when a group of new ers arrived and described how they got their first break at the BBC. Their tales of grim determination and enthusiasm were a real inspiration to the attendees who were given an opportunity to meet and question them afterwards. The lesson here was that hard work and tenacity really do pay off in the end and our young hopefuls mustn’t be discouraged or take rejection personally.

The afternoon session was really rewarding as it was more hands on. As coaches, we worked one to one with the delegates helping them to realise that their existing skills – from working in kitchens and shops to helping backstage in their local theatre - are transferable and relevant to life in the media where organisation and innovation are key. You could visibly see their confidence soar as they rewrote their CVs and deciphered daunting job descriptions with renewed vigour. I like to think that the young people left really believing that, despite what they’d been told, the BBC is for them as it is for everyone.

BBC Outreach & Corporate Responsibility brings the BBC closer to its audiences - particularly those audiences we have identified as harder to reach - with face-to-face activity, community and staff volunteering.

2016-04-19T11:23:26+00:00

Rem Conway is one of six BBC mentors giving advice and insight in a pilot scheme with the National Mentoring Consortium. The NMC was a successful applicant through BBC Outreach’s Community Doorway programme. NMC s equality and diversity in graduate recruitment, enhancing the employability of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnicity students, and students with a disability or dyslexia. It works with 300 UK employers who provide volunteer mentors.

‘Having this role has stretched me, as I have had really to take the time to understand the person I am mentoring’

On a day-to-day basis I am usually working on BBC One’s daytime drama, Doctors, but for the past six months I have been mentoring Matt (I've changed his name), an undergraduate student from Birmingham University.

Mentors have always been a huge part of my own journey and a massive asset to my development in business and production so I have always had the desire to offer that development to somebody else.

Over the course of the scheme my mentee and I have met every fortnight to discuss a combination of different things that will develop his employability skills and prepare him for the big bad world of work.

What was interesting about being a mentor is that my mentee actually has all the skills he needs to be employed he just didn't know how to use them, and because of a lack of confidence in himself he could put barriers in his own way.

So for the early meetings we went through the usual documents and tools you think of – CV, job interviews, applications, and so on. And then once we’d been through those we focused on more of the personal things that might hold him back from reaching his goals.

I was then able to arrange some visits for him to the BBC so he could get a clear understanding of the industry and what he might do after university.

Having this role has stretched me, as I have had really to take the time to understand the person I am mentoring.

Things that are second nature to me may not be second nature to him so I had really to pay attention to how my mentee learns and what it is going to take to get him from where he is to where he wants to be.

It has been a pleasure working with the BBC Outreach team, before working for the BBC I only ever saw the things that transmit – programmes, radio shows, online videos, but it has been a great experience for me to get involved with the community outreach that the BBC does and which isn't always publicised.

From the from my mentee and his university, I am glad that they are all taking away a positive attitude towards BBC Outreach work, too.

BBC Outreach & Corporate Responsibility brings the BBC closer to its audiences - particularly those audiences we have identified as harder to reach - with face-to-face activity, community and staff volunteering.