Rating

4.8/10
  • 1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
  • Business Management Higher Apprentice Daily tasks - split between three placements. Placement 1 - fantastic placement in the BBC One and Two daytime TV Planning team. Very heavily admin based however great oppurtunities to visit sets, grow skills in television and broaden knowledge. Attended commissioning meetings, learnt skills in budgeting and finance. Day to day helped with the running of the channel, scheduling programmes in the system, forecasting for future shows. Placement 2 - BBC Three, no real structure to the role as 'asset coordinator'. No defined daily tasks and was just on hand to help team with any admin. Not enough work given, and no real appropriate training Placement 3 - radio ops. Great placement with supportive manager, daily admin tasks to help the general running of the team such as booking meeting rooms, raising contracts and sales orders

    5/10

  • 2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
  • I have learnt new skills to help me further my career at the BBC. Appropriate training by the bbc is offered. NVQ was led by extremely helpful programme leader, which broadened my knowledge in business. Each placement has helped me develop my skills but I feel the scheme is extremely bbc centric and there are not as many transferable business skills as I would have liked

    7/10

  • 3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
  • I found the teams I worked with helpful and a pleasure to be with on a day to day basis. I have had two extremely supportive and fantastic managers. I feel as though what the scheme asks of its apprentices however is by far too ambitious. The whole group routinely fell short of university deadlines, due to the condensed, fast paced nature of the degree. I really struggled with keeping on top of work at the BBC and university work which I feel has reflected in both areas. The days at university on Fridays are extremely long and it isn't possible in free time to complete 7/8,000 word projects in your spare time if you have a demanding job as well as a level five NVQ. I didn't feel supported in this by the programme leader at the time with many of us being ill with stress, having to request extensions and failing modules and exams as we haven't had the proper support. I have enjoyed my apprenticeship due to all of the opportunities the BBC has given to me to work with different people across the company, but managing both the degree and the apprenticeship has proven to be too much for the group. I feel like it should be set out clearly the expectations of the course at the start, as well as made clear to managers what they should expect from having an apprentice in their team. I felt as though some managers aren't aware of this and put too much pressure on us.

    2/10

  • 4. How valued do you feel by BBC?
  • I felt really valued at the bbc with many people helping me to progress after the apprenticeship is over. I feel as though my managers gave me recognition when I had done something well.

    6/10

  • 5. How well organised/structured is your programme?
  • Induction and training was extremely well structured. Support and study time was not very well structured, and we did not receive a mentor until the latter stages of the apprenticeship. I don't think things are well escalated when you have an issue.

    3/10

  • 6a. How much support do you receive from your training provider?
  • Lots of guidance and support from Trevor the NVQ provider was given

    9/10

  • 6b. How much support do you receive from your employer?
  • I didn't feel supported by my programme leader, and really struggled to confide in her with work related issues. By the end of the scheme I felt we all had quiet a difficult relationship with her. I felt supported by placement managers, and at later dates my mentor. I also felt supported by BBC Hr with workplace issues

    4/10

  • 7. How well does your salary/package meet your costs?
  • When salary rised from 11,000 to 17,000 I found it was livable in London, however I have had to get lots of help from parents as travel and rent is so expensive here as well as maintaining an active social life

    3/10

  • 8. Are there many opportunities outside of work?
  • Lots of facilities and events at the BBC, however there was much help with the social aspect, no clubs at uni etc to meet new people when I first moved to London. Lots of the course had already lived in London and so it was difficult to make friends and feel settled in London

    4/10

  • 9. Would you recommend BBC to a friend?
  • Yes


  • 9b. Why?
  • The training that's provided, as well as the fact I have gained a position in team I want to work in which is really hard to get without any bbc experience, however it's been a really hard two years.


  • 10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BBC?
  • Make sure you understand how much work is required, and the effort this will take. Also considered financial aspects as without help from my parents I couldn't afford it and would have to move home. I would have like to have been told how much of your free time/late nights it will take to study for exams and complete modules as well as what the role at the BBC expects you to do.


Details

Degree Apprenticeship

Business Operations

Central London & City

October 2017


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