The new apprenticeship scheme aims to encourage diversity in newsrooms.

Four editorial apprenticeships are available in the scheme.

Each individual will be given two years of journalism training, which will include a 20-week NCTJ diploma course.

The apprenticeships will be aimed at candidates from a diverse range of ethnic and social backgrounds.

The Journalism Diversity Fund, the Worshipful Company of Stationers & Newspaper Makers, Goldman Sachs, and Peabody have been announced as supporters and partners of the project.

Sadiq Khan has also voiced his support. He said: "I commend this commitment to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and I encourage businesses and organisations across London to support this new scheme.

"The Evening Standard/Independent scheme has as its mission, widening of the ethnic and social representation within journalism and I am therefore delighted to offer my unreserved support."

Apprenticeships will begin with a 20-week course by the NCTJ at UCFB's Wembley Stadium Centre, which will teach skills including news reporting, feature writing, interview technique, developing stories, shorthand, video, media law, and use of social media.

This will be followed by work alongside journalists at the Evening Standard, London Live Television, and The Independent.

Joanne Butcher, chief executive of the NCTJ, said: "The NCTJ is delighted to be supporting the Evening Standard and Independent's innovative diversity scheme with help from the Journalism Diversity Fund. We all need to work together to tackle this issue and I hope it will inspire other media companies to launch similar initiatives to help people from diverse communities into journalism."