The BBC has announced a new technology and engineering apprentice scheme, the BBC Technology Apprenticeship, to address a critical technology skills shortage in the broadcast sector.

BBC addresses tech skills gap

Funded by BBC Technology and the government’s Employer Ownership Skills Pilot, the scheme, with the participation of a number of industry partners, aims to produce 100 highly skilled, experienced and employable graduate level apprentices over eight years to meet growing industry demand.

The apprenticeship opens for applications on Thursday 18 April at bbc.co.uk/careers/trainee-schemes and will recruit 20 apprentices annually for an innovative three year programme, working toward an honours bachelor degree.

Apprentices will be based across the UK and will receive a combination of world class training, work placements and academic study.

As part of the Open Channels initiative announced in December 2012, BBC Technology and the BBC Academy, in partnership with major UK universities and Creative Skillset, have brought together some of the UK’s biggest broadcasters (BBC, Channel 4, and ITV) and media infrastructure companies (Red Bee Media and Arqiva) to shape a common skills agenda, collaborating for the first time ever to solve a critical industry skills gap.

This combined industry involvement will help apprentices gain the knowledge, skills and experience to succeed; creating the next generation of engineering talent for the industry. Apprentices will also benefit from work placements within partner organisations as part of the practice-based learning programme.

The academic courses will cover key topics including software development and managing IP networks, as well as the traditional engineering principles of electronics, electrics, video and audio systems.