Broadcast & Media Systems Engineer Degree Apprenticeship - Level 6 - Cardiff

An apprenticeship at the BBC gives you the opportunity to kick-start your career in a job you’ll love. We’re the industry leaders in early careers and are committed to your skills and talent development. As one of the world’s most creative and technologically advanced organisations for the last 100 years, an apprenticeship at the BBC means the opportunity to learn from the most respected and experienced professionals in the business. 

Engineering in the BBC develops, supports and maintains the systems and infrastructure that keeps the BBC on air. This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of the next generation of operations and systems engineers helping the BBC to deliver content for TV, radio, online and other digital services. You’ll be working on unique challenges, hand in hand with the best creative minds in the UK. 

Learn about technologies and systems for TV, radio and digital channels, and how they produce high-quality content that’s distributed around the world.  Also learn the industry standards for the set-up of broadcast communication systems, media content systems and IP networks.  

Develop the specialised skills to design, build and maintain the media production and broadcasting technologies and systems that will take the BBC into the future.   

You’ve got to be interested now, right? 
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
What will you be doing on the apprenticeship?

As a Broadcast Engineering Apprentice, you will be working with our central Technology Operations or Systems teams to provide broadcast, distribution and production technology support to our primary broadcast facilities.  Depending on where you are based, you will work on the front line, supporting TV and Radio Production networks, systems and devices that are behind our flagship services such as Radio 1, 1xtra, 2, 3, 4 and 5, BBC ONE, SIX and TEN News, BBC Breakfast, BBC Sport, BBC Children’s, World TV News, our 40 World Service Radio services, BBC London, and Arabic and Persian TV services. The teams are also responsible for our master control rooms and telecommunication network systems. You will be trained and developed to support our TV & Radio studios and infrastructure and our master control rooms.   

This scheme is aimed at growing the best creative technologists for broadcasting. You’ll undertake work placements in the BBC’s engineering teams at your base to understand the systems involved in the production and broadcast of BBC output and the diverse technologies that make this possible.  

You will also get BBC Academy industry training delivered by experienced trainers to learn skills on practical broadcast systems and equipment, maintenance skills and networking, and electrical safety. 

What will you be studying?

You’ll study for your industry recognised apprenticeship qualification alongside a degree (BEng) in Broadcast & Communications Engineering, learning both on and off the job. This involves you undertaking blended learning through a series of online and face to face teaching blocks at Birmingham City University, including: 

• Audio and Vision Engineering
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering  
• IP Networks
• Computer Science  
• Broadcast Technology
• Database Technology
• Engineering Mathematics 
   

For more information on this apprenticeship standard, you will be studying please visit here. 

Where could the role take you?

On successful completion of your apprenticeship, you can look for job opportunities inside or outside the BBC such as an Operations Engineer, Systems Engineer, Outside Broadcast Engineer or Broadcast Engineer. 

This scheme starts in September 2025, and you will be on a fixed term contract which means your contract is for the duration of the apprenticeship only.  The duration of this scheme is 36 months.

 
ARE YOU THE RIGHT CANDIDATE?
We’re interested in your passion for working at the BBC and your enthusiasm for delivering world-class content and operational excellence to our audiences. We look for positive people who live our values and ensure our culture remains inclusive and full of opportunities. We’re not focused on your qualifications; instead, we look for potential and offer you the opportunity to apply your transferable strengths and experience to work in different ways.  

Throughout the selection process, we’ll be looking for evidence of how you demonstrate each of the BBC’s values and behaviours. Our values guide everything we do. They define what you can expect from the BBC and what the BBC expects from you. 

Great Broadcast Engineering apprentices are those who can demonstrate they: 

• Are fascinated by how things work
• Love solving technical problems
• Have a passion for media technology
• Can manage multiple deadlines and demands on your time  
• Have a calm and focused approach to changing circumstances  
• Are an enthusiastic self-starter, flexible and adaptable to out-of-hours working
   

To be eligible for an apprenticeship at the BBC, you must:  

• Be aged 18 or over when the apprenticeship starts in September 2025
• By the start of the apprenticeship in September 2025, have lived in the UK or European Economic Area (EEA) for a minimum of 3 years.
• Be eligible to work in the UK full time for the duration of the apprenticeship contract.
• Not currently taking part in an apprenticeship scheme supported by the BBC or another organisation. 
   

To apply for this scheme, you must also:

• Have Maths and English GCSE at Grade 4/C or above or National 5 (Scotland) at C or equivalent qualification  
• Have achieved, or expected to achieve, by the start of the scheme, a minimum of 112 UCAS points (300 if before 2017).  This MUST include A Level/Higher Maths, or an extended BTEC in Engineering with Engineering Maths, or an equivalent qualification.
• Not have completed or hold qualifications in the apprenticeship subject, broadcast or systems engineering, at level 6 or higher

WHAT YOU GET
During your Apprenticeship:

• A starting salary of £21,840
• Industry-leading training through the BBC Academy and our learning providers (this may involve travel to locations across the UK)
• A dedicated Team Manager and Scheme Specialist to help with your development
• Training and Mentoring by industry professionals 
• A 35-hour working week, 25 days of annual leave and a defined pension scheme. Plus discounted dental, health care, gym and much more. 
   

Towards the end of your apprenticeship:

• An industry recognised qualification
• Lots of experience to help you seek out new challenges and work opportunities within the BBC and wider industry
• Employability and networking training to help you secure your next role
   

NEXT STEPS
Don’t leave yourself thinking ‘what if?’ — this is your chance to be part of something special. Think you’re the right candidate? Click on ‘Apply Now’!  

Once you’ve set up your candidate profile, you just need to complete the questions in the job specific information section on the application. We don’t require you to upload a CV or Cover Letter. We are looking for your potential to bring difference to the BBC.  

If you’re eligible for the scheme, you will receive more information about the stages of the process and what to expect.  

This advert is for roles in Cardiff-based office locations. Please note that you must live a commutable distance from the BBC location to which you are applying for this apprenticeship. This scheme (EAS25) is also being offered in other locations, please see the corresponding adverts if you wish to apply for these locations. Please only apply to one location.  

Apprentices starting at BBC from September 2025 will be placed 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. 

Applications for this role/scheme are due to close on 28/11/2024.

ABOUT THE BBC
 Diversity matters at the BBC. We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual’s unique contribution, enabling all of our employees to thrive and achieve their full potential. 

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to be part of the BBC – whether that’s to contribute to our programming or our wide range of non-production roles. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity. 

We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.  

Support with your application

Our ambition is that the BBC is for everyone and should include everyone. We are proud to be a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer and committed to removing disability-related barriers.  

We take inclusivity seriously and want to ensure all candidates who are disabled or have long-term health conditions receive the support and adjustments they need. If you require reasonable adjustments for the application process or have access needs, you’d like to let us know about, please contact us here and we’d be happy to have a conversation in confidence to discuss how we can support you through the process. The job requisition ID for this role is 19385. 

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PLACEMENTS

During this apprenticeship, you can expect to spend time with different engineering teams/departments to gain a variety of experience in this discipline.  The placements available will depend on the location that your role is based in and are not guaranteed.