The wait is nearly over. On 15th April British Future and the Daily Mirror will announce the Voice of a Generation apprentice. The winner will be a young, aspiring journalist aged 17-21 who will be voting for the first time in 2015. They will go on to do a paid apprenticeship at the Daily Mirror, exploring and reporting on the issues facing young people in the year leading up to the General Election 2015. The trainee will start on 7th May, a year before we go to the polls.
After hundreds of applicants, nine finalists have been chosen, but only one will write for the Mirror as their Voice of a Generation. Meet the finalists below:
Luke May, 18, Hextable, Kent
“As Britain begins to compete with other world powers following the financial crisis, it seems that the youth must be a priority for our government. We need a government that can support our transition from education to occupation.”
Helen Whitehouse, 18, Barnsley, South Yorkshire
“The changes to the ISA rules and pensions are all very well if you have the money to invest. But young people don’t have the cash and even if they did, there would be priorities like paying for somewhere to live.”
Kieran Etoria-King, 20, Beckenham, Kent
“It’s telling that Russell Brand is currently gaining more notoriety as a political commentator than a comedian. The traction he has gained claiming that people shouldn’t vote has led to a misconception that young people don’t care about politics. From what I can see around me, people aren’t apathetic, they are just frustrated and fed up.”
Ellis Howard, 17, Liverpool
“These forms of “New Politics” demonstrate how young people are starting to engage with politics in a new way, i.e. through single issue politics like increasing awareness about the importance of recycling or effective schemes like Bite The Ballot.”
Rose Lyddon, 18, London
“Nobody wants to be the one defending politics when everyone is trying to figure out how they’ll afford uni or how they’re going to get a minimum wage job that nine other people are applying for.”
Shaniqua Benjamin, 21, London
“I have recently conducted interviews with young people from various walks of life, including two young men who turned their lives around and joined the army after being caught up in the world of knife crime.”
Chante Joseph, 17, London
“Everyone cares about society, especially young people. We care about those around us, our communities, our environment, our schools, and our hospitals. After all, we are the ones who will be living tomorrow in the world we create today.”
Rayhan Uddin, 20, London
“Politicians can be both the cause and solution for many of the difficulties faced by young people. It’s of utmost importance that in a general election year, first time voters use their electoral power to shape policy and influence the outcome of the result.”
Anna-Louise Addams, 18, Alcester, Warwickshire
“One of the reasons so few young people are voting in elections is because they find politics confusing. To ensure that youth are represented, it ought to be compulsory to be educated on the subject.”
;
