Description
Join us as a Junior Journalist apprentice at BBC Radio Orkney, giving yourself the opportunity to kick-start your career in a job you'll love. We're committed to your skills and talent development. You'll learn on-the-job, developing your knowledge and skills in an area that interests you, whilst working towards your apprenticeship qualification with one of our learning providers.
The Junior Journalist Apprenticeship (JRA27) is perfect for curious and creative individuals with a passion for storytelling. Whether you're finishing school, college, or exploring an alternative to university, this programme offers an exciting opportunity to kick-start your journalism career with the world's leading public service media organisation.
You'll gain hands-on experience covering stories that matter to audiences, learning from experienced journalists and developing the skills needed to create trusted journalism.
Alongside this, you'll work towards a SCQF7 apprenticeship qualification.
Key Responsibilities and Impact
As a Junior Journalist apprentice, this is a brilliant opportunity to learn, grow and contribute. On this team you can expect to:
- Work alongside experienced journalists developing your skills while creating high-quality content.
- Get hands-on experience including researching stories, booking guests and writing briefs.
- Discover and develop compelling stories, assisting with interviews that bring important issues to life for diverse audiences.
- Learn from industry experts at the world's largest public service broadcaster.
You'll study for your industry-recognised apprenticeship qualification, learning both on and off the job.
This involves weekly in-person classes at Glasgow Clyde College. For apprentices who aren't based in Glasgow these sessions will be virtual.
You'll cover a range of modules including:
- Media Law
- Essential Journalism
- Broadcast Journalism
- Journalism for a Digital Audience
- Video Journalism
Modules will be assessed through exams, coursework and a portfolio of work.
Skills and Eligibility
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'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:
- You're naturally curious about people and what's happening in the world around you, with a keen interest in news.
- You're full of creative ideas and enjoy finding innovative ways to tell engaging stories.
- You love finding things out, asking questions and getting to the heart of a story.
- You have a real enthusiasm for writing and enjoy communicating complex ideas in a clear, compelling way.
- You thrive in a fast-paced environment, bringing flexibility, motivation and a willingness to adapt as priorities change.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for an apprenticeship at the BBC, you must:
- Be 18 years old or over by the time the apprenticeship begins in September 2027.
- Have lived in the UK continuously for the last three 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 enrolled in another apprenticeship programme, whether with the BBC or another organisation.
- Not already hold a qualification in the same subject area at the same or a higher level than this apprenticeship.
To apply for this scheme, you must also:
- Not have completed or be studying for the NCTJ diploma or a journalism qualification at the same level or higher.
- Have achieved English GCSE at Grade 4/C or above, or National 5 (Scotland) at C or Functional Skills Level 2 or equivalent qualification.
Benefits
As an apprentice at the BBC, you'll 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.