Sky will pay the 19-year-old's first year fees as he embarks on the next stage of a journalism course at the University of Kent's Centre of Journalism.
To kickstart his training, he spent the last four weeks working as part of the Sky News team in their multimedia studios pictured below.
Here McGuinness shares the first part of his work experience diary from swine flu briefings to motoring experts - and a brush with Robert Peston:
July 5
After months of anticipation, I'm finally on the verge of starting my placement at Sky News. Tomorrow is the big day.
On Saturday I made a speech at the University of Kent's Scholarship Benefactors Garden Party in Canterbury, expressing my thanks to the people that have funded the scholarship and given me such a wonderful opportunity. I hope that came across in what I said. It may sound like a cliche but I don't think words can properly convey my gratitude.
Right now I have butterflies in my stomach - the nerves are beginning to hit me. I suppose I'll be fine once I get stuck into things. From the sounds of it I'll be doing just that, working at Five News, Sky News Radio, skynews.com and also in various parts of the television operation.
Anyone that knows me will by now know that I'm a sucker for nerves - I'm a serial worrier. But right now I feel excited more than anything.
I cannot wait to get started.
July 6
I've just got back from my first day at Sky, which pretty much served as an introduction.
In the morning I was given a tour and also brought up to speed on Health and Safety.
After lunch I met a few of the people I will be working with over the next four weeks and spent some time on the Home Planning desk, which is where I'll be working tomorrow, shadowing the team and setting things up.
July 8
I spent my second day at Sky shadowing the Home Planning team. It was a relatively quiet day because of the Michael Jackson memorial service, but I still spent some time searching out interviewees and contacts for stories and also looking for any stories that might have slipped the net.
One such story that appeared in various papers yesterday was a modelling agency advertising a job as an adult television presenter on the Jobcentre Plus website. I thought the story had some potential so I suggested it to Skynews.com.
Today I shadowed a cameraman on various jobs. First up we were at Chatham House covering Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth's speech on Afghanistan, his first major speech in his new role. Afterwards he was interviewed by Sky's defence correspondent Geoff Meade.
Then we headed to Sky's studio in Millbank where we were given our second assignment of the day. I also managed to spot Robert Peston walking down the street. I wasn't exactly starstruck, but seeing someone in the flesh when you're so used to seeing them on TV is quite weird.
Anyway, Joel Hills, business correspondent for Sky News, was interviewing two city bankers about Alistair Darling's proposals to reform the banking sector, which were revealed today in a white paper.
The interview took place on the roof of a building right in the heart of the City which offered spectacular views and shots for the piece. Thankfully the torrential rain that had been falling for most of the day held back while we were up there!
July 11
It has flown by - my first week at Sky News is over. So far it has been a very enjoyable experience, with plenty of variety.
On Thursday I shadowed the Live at Five team from planning the programme to broadcast. First up I attended the meetings and watched the producers start to lay the foundations of the programme: the running order, timings of the headlines and other segments etc.
I also wrote three NIBs [news in briefs] for the programme - a shooting in Manchester; a Chinese man dangling his baby from an eighth floor window; and a man dying in rather unfortunate (and morbidly comic) circumstances by falling into a vat of chocolate in the US.
Then I spent some time with Enda Brady while his package on phone tapping was put together. He's a thoroughly nice guy and passed on plenty of tips. I finished my day by going to the gallery and watching the programme being broadcast.
Yesterday my time was divided between radio and online. I was on radio in the morning, and helped out Verity Geere, Magic's news reader, by recording an interview with Councillor Alan Bradley of Westminster Council, which is selling off 30 of its road signs. This was used in the 1pm bulletin.
My afternoon at online proved to be particularly fruitful. I managed to get an article on skynews.com, about Brits tipping on their holidays, and a 17-second NIB about a man being killed in the 'Running of the Bulls' in Pamplona, Spain.
They say time flies when you're having fun, and in this case it definitely appears to be a truism.
July 18
My second week, like my first, has gone very quickly. I've been on the Home Planning Desk from Monday to Thursday and with Sky News Radio on Friday.
At times it has been quiet, but I've managed to get a few pieces of content done. On Thursday I did an interview with Jay Nagley [Nagley is the first person in the interview at this link], a motoring analyst, and this was used on Sky News the next day as part of graphic wall presentation.
Yesterday I was tasked with producing a package on swine flu. The angle was the effect it is having on businesses. I interviewed a spokesman from the Federation of Private Business and also did some digging and found some statistics to add some meat to the story.
This week I also managed to set up an interview with Will Greenwood, the former England rugby player, for a package about Manchester City. Turns out he's a City fan. Comedian Alan Carr, however, is not (even though a quick Google search had informed me that he was, despite my suspicions). Anyway, I gave his agent a ring and it turns out Google was wrong.
This week I also spent a day shadowing reporter Sara Merchant. First we went to a briefing on swine flu. It didn't really herald a new angle on the story, just what we have all heard before. A number of journalists at the briefing tried to get a discernible new angle amidst the deluge of statistics, but it wasn't there.
Afterwards we headed back to Osterley where I shadowed Sara and helped out as she produced a package on the assisted suicide of the composer Sir Edward Downes and his wife Lady Joan Downes at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland.
Next week I'll be at Five News, which should provide a bit of contrast to my first two weeks, owing to the difference in styles between the two. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is starting at 8:15am every morning...
Read the second part of Alan's work experience diary tomorrow on Journalism.co.uk.
Finance reporter - property
