Rating

9/10
  • 1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
  • My apprenticeship allows me to take on a variety of different job roles throughout the broadcasting chain. From acquisition in the studio all the way to transmission from remote locations. We have 6 placements throughout the course which all involve something different. I have been an Operations Engineer, Technical Assistant, a Broadcast Critical Broadcast Engineer and now an IT Manager. Each one gaining useful and unique skills to that particular job role with a little overlap of common skills, but mainly new ones!

    10/10

  • 2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
  • Yes. I will (hopefully!) getting a BEng degree, along with opportunities to take qualifications such as CCNA. I am put on many internal training course, and not just the ones the academy recommends - if the placement host is going on training, they bring me along so I can benefit out of it. One of the main things I've learnt is just speaking to clients from technical and non technical backgrounds - as you can imagine, that's quite useful!

    10/10

  • 3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
  • Lots! My cohort are really close - when we're at uni we stay in the same accommodation, eat out together, learn together, support each other and of course, go drinking (or socialising, if that's a better word for it!) together. Away from my cohort on placements the teams I work with, are all great. Even though I'm only there for 3 months, they treat me as a member of the team so one of the first things they do everytime on my first week is to add me on the team's d-list so I get all of the emails when they are organising socials!

    10/10

  • 4. How valued do you feel by BBC?
  • A lot. All of the managers look out for me regardless whether they're my direct manager or not - they genuinely thank me for being there to help them out - even though they're helping me out! I get recognition from members of staff if I'm doing a good job - and if I am doing a particularly good job, staff will actually come to me for help which is a pretty cool feeling!

    10/10

  • 5. How well organised/structured is your programme?
  • Yeah it's okay. Because my cohort is the first year at a new year there are some teething problems with the uni - but every time they work with us - not against us from the start. I can ask for support from the academy wherever I am - they make it clear it doesn't matter when I need them, theyre just a phone call away and will help us out as much as they can, or point us in the right direction.

    8/10

  • 6a. How much support do you receive from your training provider?
  • It depends on what lecturer, sometimes we have great lecturers who reply to our emails promptly and fully, but sometimes we don't - luck of the draw I suppose. But our course tutor at uni will usually help push things from his end if we don't get responses which helps us! However quite a lot of lecturers don't understand our course and the fact that Birmingham isn't my home town - I don't have accommodation there, in fact it takes me a while to get over there and have to request it with my managers first as I'm meant to be on placement when I'm not at uni!

    5/10

  • 6b. How much support do you receive from your employer?
  • Lots. My Manager and my coordinators are great - if I need time at uni I can phone them up, explain things, and then they'll put a plan in place. They help support us on placement and if we need time to get uni work done, they'll speak to the placement host on our behalf to ensure we get the time we need. They help out on placement should anything happen and organise socials and short courses with us!

    10/10

  • 7. How well does your salary/package meet your costs?
  • Better now with the pay review - my first year I had to relocate and couldn't afford (without the help of a student 0% overdraft) to pay rent, food, travel and travel home. Got tight at the end of the month! But now, the pay review happened and things are sorted. I also asked for a placement close to home, which my managers agreed so I now have London weighting as well. So better now!

    8/10

  • 8. Are there many opportunities outside of work?
  • There's a great thing called the BBC Club (cringy I know!) it's mainly in London, but theyre starting to expand. Where they have a gym, club connect where if you have an interest in things like shooting, flying, climbing, hiking, archery, sailing etc they put you in touch with other like minded people. They also have the social side of the club where you can have discounted drinks, food etc along with organising special events.

    10/10

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


  • 9b. Why?
  • They're great, even as an apprentice you are valued!


  • 10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BBC?
  • Just keep going, it's a long process so show your commitment and say everything you have done! Even if it means your interview is very long, keep going!


Details

Degree Apprenticeship

Engineering, Information Technology

Central London & City

May 2018


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