Broadcast and Media Systems Technical Operator Apprenticeship - Level 3 - Southampton

Join the BBC as an apprentice to kick-start your career. You will learn on-the-job, developing your knowledge and skills while working towards an apprenticeship qualification.

This apprenticeship offers an exciting entry-level opportunity to join the BBC as a Broadcast and Media Systems Technical Operator. You will work at the front end of technical operating in sound and/or vision in newsroom ingest hubs, galleries, studios, post-production areas, and out on location.

Your Key Responsibilities and Impact

As a Broadcast Technical Operator apprentice, you will:

• Gain practical experience across all aspects of live and recorded broadcasting, including camera operations on location, studio-based technical roles, directing, lighting, editing, and graphic design for regional and national BBC programmes.
• Contribute to the delivery of high-quality content for BBC shows, using advanced broadcast technologies such as satellite trucks and IP systems for outside broadcasts.
• Develop a strong understanding of how technical production, editorial decisions, and audience engagement work together to shape compelling content across TV, digital, and online platforms.

You will study for your industry-recognised apprenticeship qualification with the National Film and Television School, learning a wide variety of skills across TV and Radio, including:

• Camera Operations
• Floor Management
• TV Vision Mixing
• Sound Operations
• Technical Directing
• Shoot and Edit Multi-Skilled Operator
• Picture and Audio Editing
• Ingest and Library functions.

As part of the programme, you will be required to travel to attend in-person learning blocks and other apprenticeship-related activities where necessary. For more information on what you will study during the scheme, please see the Broadcast & Media Systems Technical Operator standard.

Your Skills and Eligibility

We are interested in your passion for working at the BBC and your enthusiasm for delivering world-class content and operational excellence. We look for potential and offer you the opportunity to apply your transferable strengths and experience.

If you can bring some of these skills and experiences, along with transferable strengths, we encourage you to apply:

• Passionate about media content and the technical production side of how that content reaches the audience.
• Can work calmly under pressure.
• Fascinated by how things work.
• Brilliant organisational skills and are great at problem-solving.
• Enthusiastic self-starter, flexible and adaptable to out-of-hours working.

This scheme is aimed at non-graduates. If you have a degree, we recommend applying for jobs on the BBC careers site or looking at other apprenticeship schemes.

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.
• 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 hold qualifications in the apprenticeship subject at level 3 or above.
• Not have completed or hold an extended BTEC or degree in media, television, film, audio or radio production.
• Have little or no work experience in the subject area.
• For candidates under the age of 19 years on 7 September 2027: 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 apprenticeship assessment.

How to Apply

Click ‘Apply Now’ to create a candidate profile and answer a few questions – no CV or cover letter needed. If you're eligible, you’ll be guided through the next steps.

You’ll need to live within a commutable distance of Southampton. Relocation financial support is available for this role, subject to meeting financial eligibility criteria.

This is a fixed-term apprenticeship for 25 months. You will be supported with career development, employability training, and networking opportunities.

Disabled applicants who choose to apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and meet the minimum criteria will normally be progressed to the next stage of the recruitment process.