Journalism Advanced Apprentice Review

As a journalism advanced apprentice, my role is to work across different departments at the BBC as a journalist to understand how each key part of the organisation works. My day-to-day responsibilities depend on which placement I am in at the time - in my online writing placement, for example, I attend editorial meetings, pitch ideas and write news stories and features assigned to me by editors. The experience can often vary from team to team, and as this is a new apprenticeship following the well-known trainee scheme, it has taken some time for wider staff to understand our capabilities and to trust us with work.

As this apprenticeship is for people who already have journalism experience rather than for those just starting in the industry, it is aimed at improving existing skills, which I feel has definitely been the case so far. We also have a lot of training on different segments of the industry (online writing, digital video, radio, tv, etc.), so we will continue to develop existing skills and learn new ones throughout the next few months.

I have been enjoying it so far, the experience varies between departments/managers/team leads so all apprentices have been having hugely different experiences. Some teams, especially those led by previous JTS graduates, are very keen to work with apprentices and ensure they are giving us the opportunity to flourish while in a placement with them. Those who aren't very aware of what the apprenticeship is can sometimes be wary of trusting apprentices and gatekeep a bit, which isn't great for apprentices trying to learn on the job. The studying aspect has been lacklustre so far, which is understandable as this is the first year the scheme has partnered with the education partner university, but hopefully this will improve across the coming months.

It can sometimes feel quite poorly organised and structured as we are told of placements with little time to prepare and schedules for training weeks and days could be planned further in advance. However, once they do happen, it does run quite smoothly and we have not had any big issues so far.

Once again, this depends hugely on who each apprentice has as a manager - the experience has been widely different for each and every one of us. Some have very present managers whereas others don't hear much from their managers at all. There are a few other lines of support - including progress reviews with the university provider and apprenticeship managers - which are quite helpful. The bi-weekly reviews with the BBC apprenticeship team are very useful and allow us a space to bring up any issues, which is great and definitely appreciated. Pay is an issue as the salary is below average for the experience most apprentices have in journalism and the stage we were at in our careers before getting into the apprenticeship. It is an issue we have brought up to various people across the organisation, so hopefully this will improve.

The training provider does allow space for questions and drop-in sessions to discuss assessments and any graded work towards the qualifications. There has been quite a lot of confusion as the scheme has two separate qualifications - the NQJ and Level 7 Apprenticeship - which initially was not laid out or explained very well to apprentices OR the BBC team. As it was brought up by apprentices a few times, it has eventually been better explained and we do receive some support around ensuring we are on track with both qualifications.

So far, the sessions towards the qualification through the training provider have not necessarily aided me in performing better in my role. However, once we begin studying topics such as media law, I believe this experience will change and the qualification sessions will become more relevant and helpful to our roles.

Any extra-curricular activities depend on which office you are working at, whether your team is sociable, etc. - some are just more sociable than others. We have had one apprenticeship event which was great and a nice way to meet other apprentices and network. However, all other opportunities are either through staff networks or initiatives by specific teams across the organisation.

Yes

I would recommend the BBC to a friend as although there have been some ups and downs in my time in the apprenticeship so far, it is still a good place to work and to start a career in journalism. There are so many incredible people within the organisation that are keen to offer support and advice, and the BBC as a whole also offers a lot of future opportunity once we graduate from the program.

My main advice is to be yourself and stay true to who you are and what you believe in. I know sometimes it may seem that being the usual "BBC person" will make your journey to and across the BBC easier, but if that's not you - it won't help in the long run. Make sure you speak up and make your voice heard.