Hachette, Media Diversity Australia partner on new traineeship
Hachette Australia and Media Diversity Australia (MDA) have announced ‘a significant partnership’, with Hachette becoming the inaugural book publisher member of MDA.
Announcing the partnership, Hachette and MDA have also launched the Hachette x MDA Publishing Traineeship, ‘aimed at championing diversity and inclusivity within the publishing industry’.
The traineeship offers a two-year full-time entry-level position for a candidate sourced through MDA’s TalentHub, with the trainee to receive mentorship from senior Hachette staff and external mentors provided by MDA. The specific role within Hachette offered through the traineeship will vary every two years, starting in 2024 with a publishing assistant position. ‘This creates a unique opportunity for the selected candidate to work alongside Hachette’s acquiring publishers and gain hands-on experience across all aspects of the publishing process,’ said Hachette and MDA in a statement.
‘As an MDA member, Hachette will gain access to a suite of valuable services, including the MDA TalentHub, to reach a more diverse talent pool; participation in advocacy initiatives and industry roundtables; and customised diversity, equity and inclusion training and guidance,’ said the statement.
Hachette Australia and New Zealand CEO Louise Stark said Hachette was ‘immensely proud to join Media Diversity Australia as their inaugural book publishing member and to collaborate on this traineeship’.
‘We believe that we share a common goal—to ensure that our media and publishing industries look and sound more like Australia. The MDA vision for full and equal participation for diverse people at all levels in the media closely reflects the intent of our Changing the Story strategic pillar. This new traineeship will complement our already well-established summer internship program, providing another pathway for anyone looking to enter the publishing industry. We look forward to working closely with MDA and ensuring responsible and inclusive practices in both our recruitment and our business generally.’
MDA CEO Mariam Veiszadeh said the collaboration with Hachette ‘signifies a pivotal step towards fostering greater diversity, equity and inclusivity within the publishing industry’.
‘The Hachette x MDA Publishing Traineeship embodies our commitment to creating equitable opportunities across the broader journalism sector,’ said Veiszadeh. ‘We believe this initiative will pave the way for a more representative and inclusive industry, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on the media and publishing landscape in Australia.’
Veiszadeh said that ‘MDA has driven measurable impact in the media space’, and that the organisation ‘is keen to accelerate the pace of change across the publishing sector as well’. ‘We plan on hosting a publishing roundtable with our inaugural publishing member, Hachette, and would love to see more publishers join us,’ added Veiszadeh.
More information about the traineeship is available on the MDA website, with applications open until 6 September.
Category: Local news
