Journalist Apprenticeship - Level 6 - BBC Three Counties Radio - Dunstable
BBC Public Service
Dunstable (LU5 4GP)
Closes in 21 days (Tuesday 24 November 2026)
Posted on 3 November 2026
Contents
Summary
Join us as an apprentice at the BBC to give 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.
- Wage
-
£26,000 a year
- Training course
- Journalist (level 6)
- Hours
-
Full time, 35 hours per week. Shifts to be confirmed.
35 hours a week
- Start date
-
Tuesday 7 September 2027
- Duration
-
2 years
- Positions available
-
1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
As a Journalist apprentice, this is a brilliant opportunity to learn, grow and contribute. On this apprenticeship you can expect to:
- Play a key role in creating trusted, high-quality news content for BBC audiences.
- Grow your storytelling expertise through hands-on experience researching, writing and producing stories on subjects ranging from current affairs and business to sport, culture and politics.
- Learn from experienced journalists, contribute to stories which matter to the public, collaborate with expert teams and develop your career at the world's leading public service media organisation.
As a Journalist apprentice, this is a brilliant opportunity to learn, grow and contribute. On this apprenticeship you can expect to:
- Play a key role in creating trusted, high-quality news content for BBC audiences.
- Grow your storytelling expertise through hands-on experience researching, writing and producing stories on subjects ranging from current affairs and business to sport, culture and politics.
- Learn from experienced journalists, contribute to stories which matter to the public, collaborate with expert teams and develop your career at the world's leading public service media organisation.
Where you'll work
Unit 3, Grove Park
Court Drive
Dunstable
LU5 4GP
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
THE PRESS ASSOCIATION LIMITED
Training course
Journalist (level 6)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Identify and use techniques to extract compelling stories from big data sets, social media and reports to create the most effective story or feature for the target audience.
- Undertake research before reporting to ensure that published or broadcast content is accurate, compelling and verifiable.
- Identify, select and use multiple sources of information, cross-checking and corroborating when necessary; taking accurate notes when and where needed.
- Present data stories in a visual way that helps the target audience understand the subject matter.
- Research, evaluate and select a method and the platform or platforms to be used to tell stories which will meet the employer’s strategic goals.
- Modify or combine information from multiple sources including people, reports, data and social media.
- Produce content in accordance with legal, regulatory and organisational requirements; use different multimedia combinations where needed.
- Make decisions and judgements at speed and when under pressure, on the way stories are researched and presented when breaking news.
- Assess the legal or regulatory issues and take responsibility for a course of action with regard to publication and decide when professional legal advice is needed or referral to editorial manager.
- Interrogate sources of information to establish the demographic and sociographic profile of the employer’s target audience to find where suitable contacts could be located.
- Develop relationships with contacts to find exclusive stories which meet the needs of the target audience; verify information from contacts and review its short and long-term implications.
- Identify and evaluate contacts to make decisions as to how best to nurture the contact; assessing where legal, regulatory, ethical problems may arise from working with a contact.
- Monitor relevant social media on a systematic basis, proactively seek new sources of user- generated content that will help improve targeted content and audience engagement.
- Evaluate a wide range of social media platforms, identifying and selecting the appropriate social media for the content, maintaining the correct tone for the platform being used.
- Produce content which resonates with the audience as measured by audience analytics, social media interaction and reach, and internal tools used by employers to understand audience sentiment.
- Undertake different types of interview to extract information, even from those who are reluctant to speak; identifying and selecting the right interviewing technique to suit the interviewee.
- Analyse answers from interviewees to inform questioning and other people to speak to. Probe for detail and inconsistencies in replies from interviewee.
- Take responsibility for ensuring that material from outside sources is verified, conforms to all legal, regulatory and ethical issues and is presented to the audience in the correct manner.
- Evaluate own work to check this is produced to industry standards and is of a quality to maintain and advance the organisation's reputation in the industry, making changes when needed.
- Format and edit other’s work to meet the employer’s audience, following employer’s guides to editing, using approved programs and checking materials taking editorial responsibility to reduce the time and costs of the editing process.
- Proactively develop and maintain own professional competence, with the willingness to learn new processes and technical skills, and manage own continuing professional development - CPD.
- Produce authentic, accurate and verifiable publication and or broadcast content.
- Seek constructive feedback from relevant people about your performance; taking action as required.
- Work through editorial situations at speed and when under pressure, demonstrating well-developed editorial judgement in line with their organisation’s editorial values and aims.
- Use and develop systems to track contributions from sources, including any agreements made with the people submitting the content.
- Use and promote sustainable practices in line with organisational policy.
- Identify and use techniques to extract compelling stories from big data sets, social media and reports to create the most effective story or feature for the target audience.
- Undertake research before reporting to ensure that published or broadcast content is accurate, compelling and verifiable.
- Identify, select and use multiple sources of information, cross-checking and corroborating when necessary; taking accurate notes when and where needed.
- Present data stories in a visual way that helps the target audience understand the subject matter.
- Research, evaluate and select a method and the platform or platforms to be used to tell stories which will meet the employer’s strategic goals.
- Modify or combine information from multiple sources including people, reports, data and social media.
- Produce content in accordance with legal, regulatory and organisational requirements; use different multimedia combinations where needed.
- Make decisions and judgements at speed and when under pressure, on the way stories are researched and presented when breaking news.
- Assess the legal or regulatory issues and take responsibility for a course of action with regard to publication and decide when professional legal advice is needed or referral to editorial manager.
- Interrogate sources of information to establish the demographic and sociographic profile of the employer’s target audience to find where suitable contacts could be located.
- Develop relationships with contacts to find exclusive stories which meet the needs of the target audience; verify information from contacts and review its short and long-term implications.
- Identify and evaluate contacts to make decisions as to how best to nurture the contact; assessing where legal, regulatory, ethical problems may arise from working with a contact.
- Monitor relevant social media on a systematic basis, proactively seek new sources of user- generated content that will help improve targeted content and audience engagement.
- Evaluate a wide range of social media platforms, identifying and selecting the appropriate social media for the content, maintaining the correct tone for the platform being used.
- Produce content which resonates with the audience as measured by audience analytics, social media interaction and reach, and internal tools used by employers to understand audience sentiment.
- Undertake different types of interview to extract information, even from those who are reluctant to speak; identifying and selecting the right interviewing technique to suit the interviewee.
- Analyse answers from interviewees to inform questioning and other people to speak to. Probe for detail and inconsistencies in replies from interviewee.
- Take responsibility for ensuring that material from outside sources is verified, conforms to all legal, regulatory and ethical issues and is presented to the audience in the correct manner.
- Evaluate own work to check this is produced to industry standards and is of a quality to maintain and advance the organisation's reputation in the industry, making changes when needed.
- Format and edit other’s work to meet the employer’s audience, following employer’s guides to editing, using approved programs and checking materials taking editorial responsibility to reduce the time and costs of the editing process.
- Proactively develop and maintain own professional competence, with the willingness to learn new processes and technical skills, and manage own continuing professional development - CPD.
- Produce authentic, accurate and verifiable publication and or broadcast content.
- Seek constructive feedback from relevant people about your performance; taking action as required.
- Work through editorial situations at speed and when under pressure, demonstrating well-developed editorial judgement in line with their organisation’s editorial values and aims.
- Use and develop systems to track contributions from sources, including any agreements made with the people submitting the content.
- Use and promote sustainable practices in line with organisational policy.
Training schedule
You’ll study for your industry recognised apprenticeship qualification, learning both on and off the job. This involves weekly virtual webinars and in- person bootcamps at PA Media Academy in London.
You’ll cover modules such as: Media Law, Advanced Newsgathering, Advanced Storytelling and Advanced Audience, and work towards the National Qualification in Journalism (NQJ).
The NQJ is assessed through two exams and a logbook of work.
Requirements
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
Other requirements
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 (You have to be 18 to work at the BBC due to insurance policies).
- 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 previously completed any elements of the National Qualification in Journalism (NQJ)
- Have achieved English GCSE at Grade 4/C or above; or National 5 (Scotland) at C or Functional Skills Level 2; or equivalent qualification.
Candidates under the age of 19 at the start of the apprenticeship 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 end of your apprenticeship.
About this employer
We are a leading early careers employer and hire more than 250 apprentices each year. We are committed to skills and talent development both inside and outside the BBC and, as one of the world’s most creative and technologically-advanced organisations for the last 100 years, a career at the BBC means learning from the best. We want people who show potential to join us at the BBC. Don’t worry if you don’t have extensive experience, it’s your passion and values we are interested in.
Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
Journalist career.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
THE PRESS ASSOCIATION LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000062219.
Apply now
Closes in 21 days (Tuesday 24 November 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.