Broadcast Engineer Review

As an Apprentice Broadcast Engineer, I have already learnt many many new things the first part of the course is an education in the basics of broadcasting before getting into your first real world job. The course works through a series of placements giving you a taste of the many different aspects of the world of broadcast engineering!

I am working towards a degree in Broadcast and Telecommunications engineering, and I have developed skills in networking, image and sound processing, and lots of interesting maths theory. All this in just a few months.

I love the programme, the managers running the scheme are excellent, my fellow course members are all great people, the uni staff are very accommodating. Placements managers are very knowledgeable people who have often been in the industry for a very long time, and vast amounts of knowledge to impart.

I feel very valued by the BBC; in our placements we are given tasks that have a real world impact on the content they are producing, which gives you a great sense of satisfaction and value within the business.

The programme has an excellent mix of work placements and study time, this works through a system of block release where you spend 2-3 months at university and then the next 2-3 months in work. This is an excellent way of structuring the programme, as it allows you to focus purely on the job at hand whilst on placement, challenging yourself to develop new skills, then when you are at university there's nothing to distract from learning and revising the new concepts there.

The university has a dedicated tutor on hand who can take care of any issues you have across the course as a whole. Within each module there is a module leader who can help if you're having trouble understanding anything specifically within that subject. The university also seeks feedback from us on a very regular basis, especially during the annual review process which analyses feedback from all students at different points along the scheme.

The scheme management team is excellent, they are always checking in with us to see how we are getting on both with our uni course and our individual work placements. Within the work placements, the placement managers and other colleagues are always very keen to help you to do something whenever you need it, whilst also having the confidence in you to allow you to do a job on your own if you are capable.

The salary enables you to meet all your essential living, and travel costs and leaves a decent amount for an social events you want to partake in!

The are plenty of opportunities to socialise with your fellow apprentices outside of work or study. You can join the BBC club which hosts a variety of clubs/classes in things such as kayaking or rock climbing. Within external placements I have found that apprentices are often encouraged to join in staff activities which can help you get to know more people, and feel a part of the team.

Yes

- An amazing opportunity to work and learn, giving you a highly desirable route into a career - The chance to work for a company that reaches into so many lives around the world - To be able to work in an environment where the things you do have a real impact on the content delivered - Making great new friends and connections - Support provided every step of the way - Working with incredible people all the time

The best piece of advice I received and can share on would be to be yourself, and let your passion for the industry shine through. It doesn't matter if you don't the answer to every technical question ever, that is what the job will teach you, you just need to ensure you show you have the drive, and dedication to the job to achieve highly!