“You’re hired”: BBC recruits record number of apprentices and launches new apprentice training hub

"These are great opportunities for people to get world-class training and progress their careers. And the good news is you don’t have to face me in the boardroom but you do have to be ambitious and want a career in the creative industries. The BBC’s Apprentice Hub in Birmingham will develop the kind of skills that are much needed in the creative sector in the city and the wider region. I’d urge employers to get involved." — Lord Sugar

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Lord Alan Sugar backs the BBC’s apprentice push and calls on businesses to get on board
A new Apprentice Hub will open in Birmingham to support the West Midlands’ creative sector
The BBC will partner with Google who will fund training
Two hundred new apprentices started at the BBC last week
The BBC – home to hit TV show The Apprentice – is opening up even more opportunities for people to get their dream job in the media.

Two hundred new apprentices started with the BBC earlier this month (January 17) in a variety of production, journalism, technology and business support roles. They will each get training and on the job experience.

The BBC is also launching an apprentice hub in Birmingham that will place apprentices with employers in the local creative sector.

The BBC will part fund the apprenticeships while Google, in an innovative partnership, will fund all training costs for apprentices’ placed in local organisations through the Apprentice Levy Transfer Donation scheme.

It’s all part of the BBC’s effort to double its commitment to apprenticeships and have 1,000 apprentices by 2026. Lord Alan Sugar, the star of BBC One’s The Apprentice, is backing the BBC’s apprentice push.

The BBC’s Apprentice Hub in Birmingham will grow skills in the economy by placing up to 50 apprentices with local small and medium sized employers in the creative sector. The apprentices will get work experience and training from leading learning providers.

The BBC will part fund the apprenticeships while Google, in an innovative partnership, will fund all training costs through the Apprentice Levy Transfer Donation scheme.

Director-General of the BBC Tim Davie says: ”The creative sector is growing. That’s great news for the West Midlands where there are real opportunities. I’m pleased to welcome into the BBC, 200 apprentices who started last week. I’m thrilled we’re going to be working with employers across the Midlands. It’s an exciting time.”

The BBC is working with Create Central, the West Midlands’ creative development agency, to find employers to take on apprentices. Ed Shedd, Chair of Create Central, says: “As one of the youngest, most diverse regions in Europe, the West Midlands is full of talented people with stories to tell and a desire to explore all forms of content creation to tell them.

“At Create Central, we are determined to make sure they get that opportunity. The BBC Apprentice Hub is a great step forward in addressing industry's needs. We are delighted to be working with the BBC to ensure that local creative businesses in the West Midlands understand the benefits and step up to take part.”

Ronan Harris, MD, Google UK & Ireland says: “Apprenticeships are a brilliant way to learn new skills to grow your career. Through this partnership with the BBC Apprentice Hub we hope to help people across the West Midlands get access to quality training and jobs in the creative sector, and support local SMEs to find diverse new talent and grow.”

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi says: “Ahead of National Apprenticeship Week, it is fantastic to see the BBC leading the way and supporting more people to earn while they learn so they can secure exciting careers within the creative sector. I enjoyed meeting Tim Davie recently, who talked me through plans for the BBC’s Apprentice Hub in Birmingham, which I fully support.

“The new training hub will open up even more opportunities for people to gain the experience and knowledge they need to get the job they want, while delivering the skills employers across the West Midlands need for the future.”

The BBC is to double its commitment to apprenticeships as part of its Across the UK plan announced in March 2021. A thousand apprentices will be recruited by 2026 and 80% will be based outside London. The Across the UK plan is the biggest transformation of the BBC in decades; moving power, production and investment out of London. It will ensure the BBC better serves and reflects communities throughout the country.

About

Notes to editors

Through the Apprentice Hub, the BBC will pay 20% of an apprentices’ salary for businesses with fewer than 250 employees. Only SMEs in the West Midlands can be part of the scheme. The BBC will provide employers with full HR support, services for recruitment including planning, attracting and selecting candidates, engage learning providers and deliver learning programmes, run outreach activities across the BBC networks and brands, and provide an in-road into a career in the creative sector.

The formal training in an apprenticeship is funded by the Apprenticeship Levy, paid by all employers with an annual pay bill of over £3m. There is provision in the ESFA funding rules for Levy to be shared between employers for strategically important matters of shared interest. It’s through this scheme that Google will provide a transfer of Levy funding to support apprentices in the BBC Apprentice Hub. This funding will cover training costs for 50 apprentices in the first year. Note that this is in addition to Google’s own apprenticeships programme.

The apprenticeships will include:

Broadcast Production Assistant – Level 3
Junior Content Producer – Level 3
Digital Marketer – Level 3
Data Technician – Level 3
Media Production Coordinator – Level 4
Software Developer – Level 4

Employers can register their interest here: apprenticehub@bbc.co.uk

The BBC welcomed 200 apprentices into the organisation this week. These apprentices will be working with award-winning teams across the BBC.

These include:

Technology
Corporate
Professional services
Journalism
Production and
Production management

If you are a graduate, a school leaver or looking to change your career, the BBC’s latest apprenticeship schemes are now open for September 2022, for more information and applications you can visit: www.bbc.co.uk/careers/trainee-schemes-and-apprenticeships.

Source BBC One

January 27, 2022 7:39am ET by BBC One  

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