Software Engineering Apprentice Review

Item: Software Engineering Apprentice at BBC
Rating: 4.6
Author: Anonymous

at BBC

Degree Apprenticeship

Software Engineering

Salford

Review Submitted: May 2026

Overall Rating

4.6 /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!

4.5/5 - Overview of Role

5/5 - Skills Development

4.6/5 - 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 involves learning and contributing as part of a wider team of developers, testers, and product representatives. We meet daily to discuss work in progress, whats up coming, and to make decisions as a team. I personally write Swift for iPlayer mainly, but also work on other mobile audio/video products the BBC has.

To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

4/5

Working at the BBC has been excellent, theres plenty of opportunity to learn new things, work with friendly colleagues, and just generally develop my technical and professional abilities. The one downside of a degree apprenticeship is the workload however, given its a full degree doing both the University work and regular role can at sometimes be quite taxing however there is endless support if thats needed both from the BBC and the OU.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

5/5

I've learnt a range of new skills and developed existing ones throughout the programme. Technically, I've improved my coding ability, debugging skills, understanding of testing, and most crucially knowledge of how software is built and maintained in a professional environment, something that I had little to none in before the BBC.

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?

5/5

Depending on experience the start of the programme may feel quite straightforward which was nice, and it gradually rose with the assignments becoming longer and more complex upto the very end where you create a capstone project to bring it all together that you actually develop (though dont need to actually deploy it).

How much support do you receive from your employer?

5/5

Any and all complaints or queries were answered effectively and promptly every time. I can't name a fault from the BBC here, there are dedicated scheme specialists on the BBC side who are the port of call for all Apprenticeship problems.

How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

4/5

Likewise to the BBC the OpenUniverity had people available to help and even had a personal tutor assigned to you that you meet with each quarter (along with your Line manager) to review how your going and if anything is needed to help. One caveat is that module tutors can sometimes be slower or faster to respond than others, a bit of luck on that part though the vast majority were prompt and helpful. Worst case you would just escalate above them to another rep at the OU.

How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

5/5

My qualification helps me perform better in my role by giving me a stronger understanding of the theory behind software engineering, that supports the practical work I do day to day. It also gives structure to my learning and helps me apply skills like programming, testing, problem-solving, and professional working more confidently in my team. As you get into Year 2 and 3 the modules become even more work applied and your directly using the skills in the workplace.

Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

4/5

mployee networks, diversity and inclusion groups, and early careers/apprenticeship community events are all present. I'm not personally involved in any at the moment, but there are plenty of opportunities around the BBC to meet people, network, and get involved in the wider workplace community. Either in person at meetups or async in community groups on the BBC intranet.

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend BBC to a friend?

Yes

Why?

I would recommend the BBC to a friend because it is a very friendly and supportive place to work, with people who are approachable and willing to help. The workload feels rewarding because of the size and importance of the audience we serve, and there are also lots of opportunities to try different placements or move around the organisation as you develop your skills.

What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BBC?

You don’t need to be perfect at everything, but you do need to be willing to learn. I think the key things for this role are having a genuine passion for the work, being curious, and being able to learn what you don’t already know. If you can work well with others, ask questions, and help understand and solve problems, you would do well at the BBC and I think recruiters would value that if you can show it.

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