Journalist Apprenticeship – Level 5 – Belfast

Salary: £21,840

Contract type: Fixed Term Contract

Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland

An apprenticeship at the BBC gives you the opportunity to kick-start your career in a job you’ll love. We’re the industry leaders in early careers and are committed to your skills and talent development. As one of the world’s most creative and technologically advanced organisations for the last 100 years, an apprenticeship at the BBC means the opportunity to learn from the most respected and experienced professionals in the business.

This Level 5 Journalist Apprenticeship is ideal for curious individuals passionate about telling stories. Whether you’re a school leaver or seeking a career change, if university isn’t for you, this program provides first-class journalism training with the world’s biggest public service broadcaster.

You’ll gain on-the-job experience while working towards the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism and a Level 5 apprenticeship qualification.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

What will you be doing on the apprenticeship? 

As a Level 5 Journalist Apprentice, you will…

• Work alongside BBC News and Sports teams to develop your journalistic skills, creating and delivering quality content for TV, online, digital, and audio
• Get involved with all newsroom activities, such as sourcing and securing suitable guests or contributors, writing briefs for your team or shooting and editing films
• Find and create stories for diverse audiences – including coming up with ideas, carrying out in-depth research and assisting with interviews
• Learn from and work with experts in the field

What will you be studying? 

The L5 Journalist Apprenticeship combines academic training with practical on-the-job experience. As an apprentice, you will follow the Journalist Apprenticeship standard (curriculum) and work towards an industry recognised qualification, the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism. This is assessed through exams and course work.

The NCTJ Diploma modules and assessments are likely to include:

• Essential Journalism – how to get the story and develop strong writing skills
• Ethics – understanding the Ofcom Code which guides broadcast journalists
• Essential Media Law – the toolbox no journalist can be without, and every editor wants to know you have
• Journalism for a Digital Audience – understand how digital publishing organisations work and how to write brilliant stories across all digital platforms
• Public Affairs – understand how power works and how you can challenge it
• E-portfolio – to include ten pieces of journalism, published on any appropriate platform

In addition, you also have to complete an End Point Assessment – a work-related project as part of your apprenticeship.

For more information on the apprenticeship standard, see here.

More about the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism can be found here.

Where could the role take you?  

On successful completion of your apprenticeship, you will be able to apply for job opportunities inside or outside the BBC such as Journalism Researcher, Journalism Coordinator and Journalist roles.

This scheme starts in September 2025 and you will be on a fixed-term contract, which means your contract is for the duration of the apprenticeship only. The duration of this scheme is 24 months.

ARE YOU THE RIGHT CANDIDATE?

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 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.

Throughout the selection process, we’ll be looking for evidence of how you demonstrate each of the BBC’s values and behaviours. Our values guide everything we do. They define what you can expect from the BBC and what the BBC expects from you. Find out more about our values here.

Great Journalist Apprentices are those who can demonstrate they are: 

• Intensely curious about people and about what is going on in the world
• Brimming with creative ideas and imaginative ways to tell stories
• Passionate about producing content on different platforms, including social media
• Excited by writing
• Flexible, motivated and have an adaptable approach to the pace of work

Don’t worry if you don’t have extensive experience. We’re looking for school-leavers or career changes who show potential rather than previous experience or training.

This scheme is aimed at non-graduates. If you have a degree or the NCTJ diploma in Journalism and want to train as a Journalist at the BBC, we recommend you apply to the Level 7 Journalist Apprenticeship instead.

To be eligible for an apprenticeship at the BBC, you must:  

• Be aged 18 or over when the apprenticeship starts in September 2025.
• By the start of the apprenticeship in September 2025, have lived in the UK or European Economic Area (EEA) for a minimum of 3 years.
• Be eligible to work in the UK full-time for the duration of the apprenticeship contract.
• Not currently 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 be studying for the NCTJ diploma or a journalism qualification at the same level or higher.
• 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 to complete the apprenticeship. 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.

WHAT YOU GET

During your apprenticeship:

• A starting salary of £21,840
• 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 35-hour working week, 25 days of annual leave and a defined pension scheme. Plus discounted dental, health care, gym and much more

Towards the end of your apprenticeship:

• The NCTJ Diploma in Journalism
• An industry recognised journalism apprenticeship qualification
• Lots of experience to help you seek out new challenges and work opportunities within the BBC and wider industry
• Employability training to help you secure your next role

NEXT STEPS

Don’t leave yourself thinking ‘what if?’ — this is your chance to be part of something special. Think you’re the right candidate? Click on ‘Apply Now’!  

Once you’ve set up your candidate profile, you just need to complete the questions in the job specific information section on the application. We don’t require you to upload a CV or Cover Letter. We are looking for your potential to bring difference to the BBC.

If you’re eligible for the scheme, you will receive more information about the stages of the process and what to expect.  A general overview of the application process can be found here.

This advert is for roles in Belfast, Northern Ireland based office locations. Please note that during the appenticeship, you must live within a commutable distance from the BBC location in which you’ll be based. This scheme (JRA25) is also being offered in other locations, please see the corresponding adverts if you wish to apply for these locations. Please only apply to one location.

Apprentices starting at BBC from September 2025 will be placed on a ‘Fixed-term’ contract. This means your contract is for the duration of your apprenticeship only. The BBC is committed to investing in new talent and as you approach the end of your apprenticeship, we will work with you to support you and offer you employability and networking training to help you secure your next role – this might be a job here at the BBC, or somewhere in the wider media industry.

Applications for this role/scheme are due to close on 28/11/2024.

ABOUT THE BBC

Diversity matters at the BBC. We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual’s unique contribution, enabling all of our employees to thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to be part of the BBC – whether that’s to contribute to our programming or our wide range of non-production roles. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.

To find out more about Diversity and Inclusion at the BBC, please click here.

Support with your application

Our ambition is that the BBC is for everyone and should include everyone. We are proud to be a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer and committed to removing disability-related barriers.

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. If you require reasonable adjustments for the application process or have access needs, you’d like to let us know about, please contact us here and we’d be happy to have a conversation in confidence to discuss how we can support you through the process. The job requisition ID for this role is 19219.