Frequently asked Questions

We have a range of apprenticeship opportunities available across the BBC.

If you’re finishing school or college and looking to kick-start your career, or you’re looking to change careers or, if you’re returning to the world of work after a break, our advanced/higher apprenticeships (levels 3 – 5) are for you. We have a wide range of roles on offer including in technical operations, HR, marketing, business, journalism and production.

Our degree apprenticeships (level 6) are your chance to get a degree qualification whilst working. Opportunities are available in broadcast engineering, software engineering, data, business, or management areas of the BBC.

Our postgraduate level apprenticeships (level 6-7) are for those looking to further their learning after graduate level or for those who already have previous experience in a particular subject area. If you are interested in advancing your skills and acquiring a professional qualification in law, journalism or production management, this is the level for you.

Length of scheme varies according to apprenticeship. Please use the below, however, as a guide to typical durations at each of the different apprenticeship levels:

• Our Advanced/Higher apprenticeship schemes typically last from 13 months to two years
• Our Degree apprenticeship schemes are typically between three to four years
• Our Higher/Master’s Degree apprenticeship schemes are typically 18 months to two years.

On successful completion of your apprenticeship scheme you will receive the recognised professional qualification attached to the apprenticeship. These qualifications vary according to different levels of apprenticeship. The end qualification for a level 6 degree apprenticeship, for example, is a bachelor’s degree.

Yes, you will receive a salary of, at least, the National Living Wage throughout your apprenticeship. This varies depending on which scheme you join, but salaries range from £22,950 to £33,000 (plus an additional allowance if your main work base is in London or the Channel Islands). All expenses related to the apprenticeship are covered by the BBC. We also have a range of financial support and initiatives available. If you are a care leaver you are able to apply for a government-funded bursary.

As an apprentice at the BBC will be on a ‘Fixed Term’ contract. This means your contract is for the duration of your apprenticeship only. The BBC is committed to investing in new talent and, as you approach the end of your apprenticeship, we will work with you to support you and offer you employability and networking training to help you secure your next role – this might be a job here at the BBC, or somewhere in the wider media industry.

As an apprentice, your learning is a combination of ‘on-the-job’ and ‘off-the-job’ training. The ‘on-the-job’ element refers to the experience you are gaining whilst in your work placement. The ‘off-the-job’ training is the time you spend away from the workplace with the external learning provider. You are given a minimum of 6 hours per week (in line with government requirements) to focus on your studies.

The way learning providers deliver training varies from scheme to scheme. It may take place remotely (online), in-person, or as a combination of the two. You may have a day each week dedicated to your ‘off-the-job’ training, or you may have block study weeks. For more information on how the training is delivered for the apprenticeship you are applying for, please see the job description for that particular scheme.

Our ‘Get In’ Taster Days are a great way to find out more about life at the BBC and the opportunities we have on offer. Details can be found on the ‘Get In’ Taster Experience section of this site, where you are able to complete an ‘expression of interest’ form.

Following us on @BBCGetIn on Instagram and @LifeAtTheBBC on TikTok will also give you more insight into the roles and opportunities available at the BBC and what it’s like to be an apprentice at the BBC. You'll also be able to find details there on a series of webinars each year where you can find our more about the schemes on offer.

We typically open applications for schemes in two phases - October and December. All roles will be advertised on the BBC careers website and, when we are open for applications, you will be able to find out about these roles in more detail.

We recommend you spend time looking at the information about all the schemes on offer to help you decide. Our advanced and degree apprenticeships are aimed at non-graduates. If you have a degree, extensive experience in an area, or have previously completed an apprenticeship programme, please check out our postgraduate level apprenticeships.

Each apprenticeship has different eligibility criteria, so please read the job advert for details of the specific eligibility requirements before you apply.

Yes, all schemes have a closing date which will be clearly written on the job advert. Our schemes are all open for applications for several weeks. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to try and avoid any unexpected issues that might happen ahead of the deadline. Make sure you double-check everything before you press ‘submit’ in particular the questions related to the schemes eligibility. We cannot accept applications once the closing date has passed.

Each job advert will list the location(s) available for that role and scheme. You are only able to apply for one location per scheme so please consider which location best works for you. Remember you must be able to commute easily to the location/office you choose. Any additional applications for the same scheme will be withdrawn.

We don't recommend you apply for multiple apprenticeship schemes in any one year. It is better to focus on the specific apprenticeship you feel most excited about so you can demonstrate your passion for the role. However, if you think you can show us your motivation for more than one scheme and they align with your career ambition, and you fit the eligibility criteria for both, then you are able to.

You are only able to submit one application per scheme for each intake year and any additional applications will be withdrawn. For example, if you are looking to apply for a role on the Production Apprenticeship we will consider your first application for this scheme and not any additional applications for other locations/teams.

Each scheme has its own eligibility criteria and set of questions so changing schemes isn’t possible. We would encourage you to read all the relevant information before applying. While schemes are still open for applications, you are able to withdraw your application from one scheme and apply for a different one.

Yes! We receive a large number of applications per role each year so roles are competitive. Many of our apprentices were successful on their second or third attempt. You can learn a lot from going through the assessment process and hopefully reflect on the feedback given to help improve each time.

We don’t require you to upload a CV or Cover Letter when applying for an apprenticeship scheme. You will be asked to complete your details directly on to your application form via our careers portal. Make sure you spend time accurately completing the information you are asked to provide to avoid issues with progressing your application. Where there are specific qualification requirements for a scheme please ensure you have given full details of the courses you have studied and qualifications gained as this can impact your application.

During the application process, we want to learn more about your skills and interests and we will be looking at how you demonstrate our values and behaviours. Mindset matters to us. We look for positive, self-aware and enthusiastic people. We value difference.

We are proud to be a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer and if you require adjustments in order to submit your application or to interview for a role with the BBC, please contact us via this form and select Reasonable Adjustment as the topic and let us know what adjustments you may need.

We'd be happy to have a conversation in confidence to discuss how we can support you through the process, as there are a number of different ways we can accept an application and/or adapt our selection processes.

A ‘reasonable adjustment’ (and ‘adjustment’ when used here) is the term used to describe the changes that organisations, and people providing services or public functions, will make for you if your disability, impairment or condition, puts you at a disadvantage. For example, you might need more time for certain parts of the application or assessment, interview questions in advance, or a British Sign Language interpreter. We can make adjustments such as subtitles over Teams, provide British Sign Language or allow you extra time – whatever is the appropriate adjustment for your needs. Let’s have a chat and get the best adjustment for you in place.

Qualifications required depend on the scheme you are applying for. Further details on the requirements are available on job descriptions when roles are live. There are several schemes where there is either no prior qualification requirement or a minimum requirement of Maths and English GCSEs or equivalent.

We encourage you to think carefully about which level apprenticeship is most appropriate for you and the next step of your career journey. That’s because, for some schemes, prior learning/qualifications you have gained in the past, may make you ineligible to proceed with an application for that particular apprenticeship. Further details regarding this is available on each of our job descriptions (which you can access when we are open for applications). Please ensure you have outlined the details of your prior qualifications accurately and double-checked your responses to the eligibility questions before submitting your application.

You must be 18 or over when the apprenticeship starts. There is no upper age limit for any of our schemes.

To be eligible for an apprenticeship, you must have the legal right to work within the UK full-time for the duration of the scheme. You must also meet the apprenticeship residency requirement and have been a resident in either the UK for a minimum of 3 years before the scheme start date.

For schemes in Guernsey, candidates must be entitled to live and work in Guernsey according to local population laws. For schemes in Jersey, candidates must be entitled to live and work in Jersey, according to local population laws.

It is your responsibility to ensure you have the right to work for the duration of your apprenticeship. We cannot progress your application if you do not have the appropriate right to work status. You can check www.gov.uk/legal-right-work-uk to see which documents give you the legal right to work in the UK.

The BBC is unable to provide sponsorship for BBC early careers roles. If you are in the United Kingdom on a student visa, or your permission to live in the UK is for educational purposes only, you are not eligible for an apprenticeship unless you are eligible through meeting any other of the categories outlined online at www.gov.uk/guidance/apprenticeship-funding-rules.

In order to be accepted onto a BBC Apprenticeship Scheme, you must have been a continuous resident in the UK for a minimum of 3 years when the apprenticeship starts.

There are exceptions to this rule outlined online at gov.uk/guidance/apprenticeship-funding-rules. If any of the exceptions apply to you, for example you're ordinarily a resident of the UK but have temporarily lived/are living abroad for reasons such as education or a gap year, then you are able to apply. Additionally if you are an EEA or Swiss national who has Pre-Settled/Settled status under the EUSS and have lived in the UK or EEA for the past 3 years you are able to apply.

If you are a resident in the United Kingdom on a student visa then you are typically not eligible under UK apprenticeship funding rules. For full eligibiliy details please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-funding-rules-2025-to-2026.

Currently our apprenticeship opportunities are based in the UK. For international roles and opportunities please use our job search.

The BBC welcomes and encourages applications from disabled people for all of its advertised apprenticeship roles. In addition, via BBC Extend, the BBC’s positive action employment programme for disabled people, including those who identify as deaf and/or neurodivergent, a number of apprenticeship roles have been made available only for application by people who identify as disabled as defined by the Equality Act (2010), or the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) if applying in Northern Ireland.

We recognise that disabled people are underrepresented in our workforce and our goal is to create more opportunities for disabled people at the BBC.

Under the Equality Act (2010), you’re a disabled person if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. There is no comprehensive list of conditions that can be considered as a disability under the Equality Act (2010). You can find out more on the Extend section of our careers site.

This will vary depending on the scheme, but due to the large volume of applications, it can take some time to complete the process. You will be kept informed at each stage of the process on when you can expect to hear an update and we will share dates as soon as we’re able to. Our assessment centres typically run between January and April.

Timelines will vary, but the deadline for completing any tasks will be sent out with the task instructions. We recommend not leaving it until the last minute in case there are any technical issues.

This will vary depending on the scheme and the number of roles we are assessing for. At the assessment centre and interview stage, you will be given further information on timescales.

No, not all apprenticeship schemes have a task to complete before the assessment centre, it varies according to each scheme. Some apprenticeship schemes may have online assessments during the application process. You will be guided through these as the process moves forward and we will let you know key timelines.

If you are taken forward to one of our assessment centres or to the interview stage, then you will have the opportunity to request feedback regardless of whether you were successful or not. For many of our online assessments, you will also be provided with a feedback report. We are unable to share feedback for other stages of our process due to the large volume of applications we receive.

You will be able to see the current status of your application by logging on to your profile on our careers site. All updates will be sent to the email address provided in your profile. It's crucial that this is an address you can access throughout the process.