Multi skilled operator Review

I work in a TV studio where I assist on the floor, helping mic up guests and moving the set around for each show. I speak to the director, who is in New York through a headset. I also work in the control room: operating the robotic cameras, lights and autocue.

Yes, I have learned many new technical skills such as operating cameras, the autocue and the remote aperture control panel. I have also learned a lot of new language in regards to production. I have also grown in confidence having to interact with lots of guests and new people on a daily basis.

I really enjoy the program. There is always something new to learn everyday as you are working alongside so many seasoned and knowledgeable professionals. I enjoy being on my feet all day and working in a live working studio. The atmosphere is very fast paced meaning that work is never boring.

Thankfully my manager has helped me to achieve many of the KSBs I have had to achieve. However, the communication with Bauer has been terrible for a large portion of my time on the program. First of all, my program started 8 months late. I began working at Bloomberg in February 2023 and my apprenticeship didn't begin until the end of September of that year. On a daily basis I was asking when the program would start and was not told anything. When the apprenticeship did start, the program was not explained very well, leaving myself and the other apprentices very confused.

I receive a lot of support from my employer. My manager gives me a lot of time throughout the week to work on my studies as well as working in the studio. I also have weekly catch-ups with my manager to discuss my progress and how the program is going.

The training provider did not give great support at he beginning of the program, however things have improved. The people at Bauer generally respond quickly to emails when I have queries or problems. The group Teams calls we have are when I feel most supported as I can interact with the other apprentices.

I believe some aspects of the qualification help me to perform better in my role. For instance, when we learn about studio production I can bring those skills to work with me. However, when we are learning about different forms of production such as documentaries, there are not many skills I can take from that. In addition, a lot of the production paperwork we learn about, such as Risk Assessments, are documents that I don't come into contact with in my role.

As I work very unsociable hours (typically 5am - 2pm) everyone in my department goes home once the work day is finished. The entire 15 months I have been at Bloomberg there has been 2 social events I can think of. Also, all of the other apprentices in different departments all finish at normal times such as 5pm or 6pm. This means that if there is a social event for apprentices, it usually starts around this time or later. As I am the only apprentice that finishes this early, it means I usually cannot attend many of the social events because I will have to go home and come back.

Yes

The company culture is very enjoyable if you like a fast-paced, exciting atmosphere. The company also treats their staff very well by providing free food and drinks everyday. If you start before 7am you also get a cooked breakfast. They also cover your travel costs if you start work very early like myself.

I would say to try new things and you'll surprise yourself. Meet as many people as possible across all of the many departments at the company. Many of the skills I have learned have been through me asking someone to teach me. So I would say be intuitive, curious and always willing to try something new.