Apprentice Broadcast Engineer Review

The role involves attending university in 3 month blocks, followed by 3 month placements within the workplace. Placement locations can vary both inside and outside of the BBC, placements have been held at BBC internal engineering departments as well as ITV, Babcock Media, Arqiva, Dock10. The day to day job changes depending on where the placement is held, it will be something engineering related. Interaction with clients of some placements is rare as an apprentice, but has been known to happen. For all intents and purposes you are viewed as staff of that department for the placement, hence your actions reflect on the company.

Skills gained through this course include computer programming, networking (Cisco CCNA), a knowledge of the broadcast industry, as well as teamwork, organisation, project management, etc. The course is designed to give you a broad overview of the broadcast engineering field and allows apprentices to pick the route they would like to go down. Training is provided by both the BBC and the partner university, as well as training on placements. You achieve a BEng (Hons) through this scheme.

University is university; it's difficult and long hours. Unlike a typical university course, a whole year is completed in 11 weeks of high pressure learning. The placements can be hit or miss, a great placement can give you a project and training and make you feel really valued within the company. On the flip side, a bad placement can put you off a role or make you feel isolated for a long period of time; however, even a bad placement gives you experience in a different role and allows you to know that that job isn't for you. The culture of the placements varies, but is normally very positive. Expectations were met on some placements and exceeded by many of the placements I attended.

Towards the end of the course the focus turns to finding a role. The BBC are very helpful in this regard; the managers will forward you new job openings and give you contact details of the hiring managers. The managers will help with interview preparation and liaise with the hiring managers to ensure a clear moving process. Time is given towards the end of the fixed-term contract to move into a new role allowing more time to find a job without becoming unemployed. Placement hosts also make you feel valued, they realise that you are the future of the BBC engineering team and will en-devour to educate you and make you want to work within their department after the scheme. The apprentices gain valuable knowledge of other departments through the placements, making it easier for them to find the resources they need when in a role after the scheme.

The scheme follows a pattern of 3 month rotating blocks of uni and placement. Weeks of private study are planned to allow relaxing between the intensive training weeks. There are a large number of apprentices on the scheme and a set number of placements so getting requests for certain placements in early is needed for a positive outcome. Where placements can't accommodate, the managers will try their best to provide for the apprentice, making smaller placements or planning a future placement with that team. There are times when you don't know what you're doing in half a week's time, but these are usually handled well, and who doesn't like a day of private study?

Support is generally provided by the university and placement hosts. The university provide forums to ask questions and online collaboration sessions for more detailed help. The placement hosts are just managers within the placement company, they are not always well trained to teach apprentices and usually will assign someone else to this role if this is the case. Although normally separated by distance, the course managers are always available to help with any issues or just to have a chat.

Support is generally provided by the university and placement hosts. The university provide forums to ask questions and online collaboration sessions for more detailed help. The placement hosts are just managers within the placement company, they are not always well trained to teach apprentices and usually will assign someone else to this role if this is the case. Although normally separated by distance, the course managers are always available to help with any issues or just to have a chat.

There have been a wave of salary changes across the scheme. The most recent is for the salary to increase annually. London weighting is awarded if the placement is within London (and paid during the time at uni). Whilst attending uni accommodation is through hotels with travel and meals funded by the BBC. On placement, the salary is very low and travel can be expensive. Living close to your placement or in a place with very low rent is definitely recommended. Upon completion is the scheme, you are expected to find a grade C role (min £25000).

The BBC hold many events outside of work, but many of these are on a "need to know" basis. Some placements often go out together as a team after work, whereas others do not. Whilst attending uni and living out of hotels you are out every night eating at restaurants with others on the scheme. The BBC do offer volunteering opportunities, however these are more angled towards the operational and production staff instead of engineering.

Yes

The BBC are a great company to work for. It is clear that they care about training their staff and people are generally happy to be in their role. There are lots of internal structures to try new things and move up the career ladder. The BBC are always looking to improve and it is a great pride to be part of that, many people in the broadcast engineering industry have been trained by the BBC.

The online application is the one thing you know they WILL read, you must put everything you have done down to stand out. The BBC aren't looking for someone who knows everything about broadcast, they want someone they can train and who is passionate about broadcast. The interviews are normal BBC style, they are not designed to catch you out, but to observe your problem solving process and understand how you'll best fit the role. Assessment days include a group exercise, interview, maths test, technical test, and computing test. These are not too formal interviews, smart casual is fine. During the assessment day make yourself stand out, there's lot of applicants and only a few spaces!