Paid for contentCould you be the new voice of Shetland on local radio and beyond?

BBC RADIO Shetland are on the lookout for a junior journalist apprentice to join the team at the Pitt Lane station.

If you’re a recent school leaver or are about to finish and university isn’t for you, this apprenticeship programme, starting in September 2026, offers first-class journalism training and hands-on experience to set you up for a successful future in the industry.

Many reporters who started at Radio Shetland have become well-known household names at the BBC and far beyond, including Jen Stout, Phil Goodlad and Jonathan Sutherland.

Jonathan Sutherland – Sports Presenter

BBC Scotland sports presenter Jonathan Sutherland with former Celtic footballer Shaun Maloney

BBC Scotland sports presenter Jonathan Sutherland with former Celtic footballer Shaun Maloney

Before turning into a familiar for many football fans across Scotland, Jonathan Sutherland started his broadcasting career as a presenter on Good Evening Shetland.

“I had a vague sense I wanted to be a journalist, but I’d never even thought about talking out loud on the radio or TV,” he recalls.

He had just been turned down for work experience at The Shetland Times when his mam suggested he tried the radio instead.

Jonathan says it was the kindness, patience and guidance of his new colleagues that changed him from a “quivering wreck” to a confident presenter. “

And then the epiphany when I’d found my feet that this was the BBC – global organisation, a window to the world – I could explore new horizons.”

As a massive football fan, Jonathan applied for a job at BBC Sport, and the rest is history: “I never really dreamed I would end up presenting Sportscene on the telly, going to international football tournaments and travelling the world.

“For my 15-year-old self, growing up in Brae, that would have seemed utterly impossible.”

He adds: “But it became possible because I walked through the door of Radio Shetland one day, and for that I will be forever thankful.”

Phil Goodlad – Sports Presenter 

Phil Goodlad.

Phil Goodlad.

Unlike Jonathan, Phil Goodlad always knew he wanted to become a radio presenter, so working at the local station was a no-brainer.

But, he says, it’s not just something you simply fall into.

Originally from Yell, young Phil spent many of night on floors of relatives and friends in Lerwick so he could be in the office on time for holiday jobs with the BBC.

“Watching, listening and learning how stories are turned into an item on air at teatime from a morning phone call or chat ‘we somebody on da street’ was, and still is, fascinating,” he says.

Although he has since become the voice of Scottish sport on BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast, the time he spent at Pitt Lane is still the backbone of his working day.

And his advice to anybody who would like to follow in his footsteps?“Know what you want to do and go for it. Be prepared to put in the hours and when the story allows, have fun.

“At the end of the day, it’s just yornin and finding out from people what they want (or often don’t want) to tell you.”

Andrea Racekova – Reporter 

Andrea Racekova, the station’s latest apprentice, says the opportunity to work at Radio Shetland has completely changed her life.

“As a university student in Glasgow, I used to clean rooms in the hotel sitting next to the BBC Scotland newsroom.

“Never in a million years did I think that one day, I’d end up working there – and that was only possible thanks to Radio Shetland,” she reveals.

During the two-year long apprenticeship, Andrea learned to create content for radio, TV, website and social media, and obtained essential training in journalism law and ethics.

Even though the programme took her to various newsrooms across the UK, her favourite part of the job was coming back to Shetland.

“There is no better place for a journalist to feel like their stories make a difference than in a small community like Shetland,” she says.

“You get to speak to incredible people every day and cover stories that matter to them but also matter to you – and you are very rarely able to do that in a big newsroom.

“I can’t recommend this apprenticeship enough!” she adds.

Applications close on the 13 November 2025.

For more information and to apply for the role please follow this link on the BBC Careers site.