Production Apprentice - Level 3 - Flexi Job Apprenticeship - Second Home Studios - Birmingham

ORGANISATION: Second Home Studios

LOCATION: This opportunity is available to those who live within a commutable distance of Birmingham. Due to working hours, we recommend a maximum of one hour from / to base which for this role is 17 Pickford Street, Birmingham, B5 5QH. Please note there will be no reimbursement of travel to and from work.

CONTRACT TYPE: 13‑month fixed‑term contract, full time (September 2026 to October 2027).

SALARY: £24,650 per year.

CURIOSITY ABOUT ANIMATION AND VFX PROJECTS: Want to learn hands on in a high craft, award‑winning animation studio? Ready to start your career in production while earning and learning? The BBC Flexi Job Apprentice Agency (FJAA) is offering an exciting opportunity to join Second Home Studios in Birmingham as a Production Apprentice working across a variety of projects including post‑production for Silent Witness.

WHY JOIN SECOND HOME STUDIOS? Second Home Studios is an award‑winning production house based in Birmingham’s creative heart, specialising in high‑craft stop motion and multi‑disciplinary animation. The studio works at the intersection of traditional craft and cutting‑edge digital production, creating distinctive visual work for leading broadcasters. The team prides itself on a collaborative, partner‑led environment where specialists work closely together to deliver bespoke storytelling solutions.

WHY BECOME A PRODUCTION APPRENTICE? As a Production Apprentice, you’ll support producers and the wider production team to keep projects running smoothly from briefing through to delivery. Rather than focusing on location filming, this role is centred on studio‑based production, post‑production scheduling, asset management and technical coordination. This role is well suited to someone who enjoys organisation, problem solving, and working closely with creative and technical teams. This apprenticeship offers a structured entry route into production, teaching you how projects are planned, resourced and delivered in a professional production environment.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• Supporting producers with day‑to‑day coordination of animation and VFX projects.
• Helping interpret creative briefs and supporting the development of production plans.
• Maintaining production paperwork, schedules, call sheets and documentation.
• Tracking assets, shots and deliverables across post‑production workflows.
• Assisting with cost tracking, purchase orders, expenses and receipts.
• Supporting studio activity, including kit organisation and basic technical assistance.
• Researching resources, equipment and logistics relevant to studio‑based productions.
• Communicating effectively with internal teams including editors, artists and technical staff.
• Assisting with basic content preparation or edits where appropriate, under supervision.
• Reflecting on production processes and contributing ideas for improving workflows.

WHAT WILL YOU BE STUDYING? You’ll be studying your industry‑recognised qualification, learning both on‑ and off‑the‑job in a programme by Bauer Academy. An apprenticeship requires full commitment and discipline from the learner. Alongside experiences and training, there is an expectation of wider self‑learning and the requirement to meet learning objectives and deadlines, as outlined by the apprenticeship standards.

YOUR SKILLS AND ELIGIBILITY: We’re interested in your passion and enthusiasm to deliver world‑class excellence to the BBC and Second Home Studios 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. If you can bring some of these skills and experiences, along with transferable strengths, we’d love to hear from you and encourage you to apply:

• An interest in production, animation, VFX and post‑production workflows.
• Strong organisational and communication skills.
• Confidence managing tasks, paperwork and digital tools.
• A proactive and reliable approach to supporting production teams.
• Comfort working in a fast‑moving studio environment.
• Motivation to develop professionally and commit fully to the apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship opportunity is ideal for someone at an early stage in their career who is looking to gain experience in a professional environment alongside a qualification. If you already have experience in this area, we recommend exploring other roles that may be better suited to the next step in your career.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: To be eligible for this apprenticeship, you must:

• Be aged 18 or over when the apprenticeship starts in 2 Sept 2026.
• Live within a commutable distance of central Birmingham.
• Have lived in the UK continuously for the last 3 years prior to the start of the apprenticeship.
• Be legally eligible to work full‑time in the UK for the entire duration of the apprenticeship.
• Not currently be taking part in an apprenticeship scheme supported by the BBC or another organisation.

To apply for this scheme, you must also:

• Not have completed or hold qualifications in the apprenticeship subject at the same or higher level.
• Be prepared to travel to agreed placement locations.
• Be available for the in‑person assessment which will take place on Thursday 30th July 2026 at BBC Birmingham.
• Be able to start on Wednesday 2 September 2026.

For candidates under the age of 19 years at 2 September 2026: To complete the apprenticeship, you must have achieved Maths and English GCSE at Grade 4/C or above or National 5 (Scotland) at C or Functional Skills Level 2 or equivalent qualification. If you have not achieved these qualifications by the start of your apprenticeship, you will be required to achieve Functional Skills Level 2 before the end of your apprenticeship when you take your end‑point assessment.

BENEFITS: Here you will benefit from:

• Excellent career and professional development.
• Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a 35‑hour working week, 25 days annual leave (26 days for BBC Studios), a range of policies to support your work‑life balance, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.
• A values‑based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.

As an Apprentice you will also receive:

• An industry recognised qualification.
• 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 bespoke BBC apprenticeship experience including apprenticeship development days and membership of the BBC Apprenticeship community.
• Employability and networking training and support to help you secure your next role.
• The opportunity to apply for financial support for relocation subject to eligibility.

DIVERSITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING: We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio‑economic background, religion and/or belief. 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.