This month, the Foundation celebrated the success of our second-year cohort of students participating in the Raheem Sterling Foundation Broadcast Academy in partnership with talkSPORT.
Working in collaboration with talkSPORT, the Broadcast Academy offers young people from Manchester & London the chance to learn skills and gain knowledge in radio production, web reporting and broadcasting, as well an insight into the range of job opportunities available in sports media.
Producers, presenters and online journalists from the world’s biggest sports radio station and News UK have delivered two monthly sessions from November 2023 until May 2024. During this time, the students have enjoyed a unique experience with a chance to interview former players turned broadcasters Darren Bent and Danny Webber, see their articles published on talkSPORT.com and gained skills in interviewing, writing and making podcasts.
Danny Webber meets the second-year graduates. Credit: talkSPORT
Launched to inspire young people to train and prepare for a career in sports media, offer quality opportunities for young people and nurture emerging talent, the academy is firmly focused on delivering the key Power of 7 principles that the Raheem Sterling Foundation is built upon – education, employment, enterprise, community, creativity, leadership and social mobility.
The first Academy sessions kicked off in October 2022 with a season of monthly workshops delivered to 19 students from Raheem’s old school, Ark Elvin in Brent, and the HideOut Youth Zone in Gorton, just minutes away from Raheem’s former football club’s Manchester City Etihad campus.
In the academy’s second year, it has expanded to include 23 young people from Manchester and London who have mastered all things sports media, from interview techniques and writing online sports features, to podcast recording, setting them up with incredible experience in radio broadcasting and helping to develop future careers in this highly competitive industry.
talkSPORT’s Sarah Collins said: ‘Graduating is just the first step for our academy team in making their way into the industry and two of this year’s team have already landed a work experience opportunity with a newspaper group to report on non-league football matches. talkSPORT are providing mentoring and will offer paid work experience opportunities to our London students later in 2024.
“We want to ensure that our Broadcast Academy doesn’t just do some inspiring talks then leave our group to find their own way into the industry. We have to ensure we are supporting them all the way to landing their first job and beyond.”
After graduating at this year’s celebration in London, the group received certificates, enjoyed a well-deserved celebratory meal and a VIP tour of @talksport HQ. To see their vlog of the day, visit our Instagram page.
