The Age runs an award-winning training program for talented and highly motivated individuals. In 2010, three trainees have been employed.

The traineeships are 12-month contracted positions, beginning in March. They are full-time and paid according to the MEAA journalism award.

Traineeship contracts are performance-based and successful trainees are offered full-time, graded positions after 12 months.

The program starts with a comprehensive induction, which introduces trainees to the company and the roles of different departments. It also provides an early opportunity to meet senior staff within the editorial department. In the classroom, trainees take part in simulated news writing exercises designed to expose them to a range of writing and reporting problems. They also begin learning Teeline shorthand.

Following the induction, trainees work as junior journalists. Shorthand training continues each week and training in areas such as news and feature writing, interviewing skills, media law, and computer assisted reporting is given. Guest lecturers are invited to talk to trainees about their experiences in journalism.

Trainees spend time working in different sections of the newspaper, such as news, sport and business, during the year. Each rotation gives the trainee some experience of writing in that particular section.

Information about editorial traineeships will be updated in September with details about the program for 2011.