Early Careers Apprentice Review
at BBC
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Engineering
London
Review Submitted: March 2026
Overall Rating
4 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
-
Overview of Role
5/5
-
Skills Development
3.4/5
-
Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
My role as an Operational Production Engineer involved the setup, design, testing, operation, and troubleshooting of AV equipment used for outside broadcasts. It was a highly dynamic position where no two days were alike. A significant portion of the job was spent on the road, supporting a wide variety of productions, from fast‑paced, reactive news deployments, to large‑scale music festivals and planned events.
What made the role particularly engaging was the breadth of technical responsibility. Rather than focusing on a single discipline, I worked across a wide spectrum of broadcast engineering tasks, including comms systems, camera setups, RF links, routing, networking, and overall signal flow management.
What made the role particularly engaging was the breadth of technical responsibility. Rather than focusing on a single discipline, I worked across a wide spectrum of broadcast engineering tasks, including comms systems, camera setups, RF links, routing, networking, and overall signal flow management.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
Very enjoyable, especially with the variety of work which I was deployed onto.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
Working across such a wide range of outside broadcast environments strengthened my technical abilities in areas like comms systems, camera setups, networking, and AV signal flow. The constant variety also improved my problem‑solving, adaptability, and ability to work under pressure in live situations. Additionally, spending so much time on the road and collaborating with different production teams helped me build stronger communication and teamwork skills, all while broadening my overall understanding of end‑to‑end broadcast operations.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
Overall, the training received was very good. However, there are definitely some overlaps in learning material (in terms of what internal training the BBC provide, and what the university provides), where the programme could be structured better. Additionally, I think the syllabus could be reviewed and changed to suite the most recent industry developments. For example, more time spent on IP and job-specific roles (such as OBs in my case) would have been useful, but also appreciate that there were many apprentices in the cohort, all of which with differing roles.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
Support from my employer was very good. My line manager always made sure I had the time required for study and completing assignments. Although think check ins could have been more frequent in my opinion.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
3/5
It depended on who the lecturer was for each of the modules. It varied with some being very responsive and could help you steer onto the right course / clarify information, to others leaving you more confused than when you started (e.g. clarifying objectives on an assignment).
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
It definitely helps, especially around fundamental understanding of tech concepts. Although, the course is much wider scoped in content, in comparison to the technology and equipment I deal with day-to-day in the workplace. Therefore, a lot of content is not relatable but gives the industry wider context.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
3/5
There are in London as a whole, but less so in some of the BBC buildings dotted around in other areas of London.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend BBC to a friend?
Yes
Why?
The BBC outputs such a huge range of content and is involved in so many different types of work, that whatever your interest or department, you are likely to find something that you enjoy. You can also get involved in very unique opportunities that may not be available to you elsewhere.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BBC?
My main tip would be to show genuine enthusiasm, and prove it with anything you have done outside of a work or an academic environment. This is a key quality employers are looking for.
