The Best Media & Journalism Apprenticeships in the UK.

Lights, camera, Action!

OK, so media and journalism might not actually be glitz and glamour 24/7, but you would be hard pressed to find a job with more variety, creativity, and potential for impact than a media apprenticeship.

From written journalism and broadcasting for film, TV and radio, to digital media, marketing and video games, the media industry is exploding, and the UK creative sector is rapidly expanding with it.

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Media Apprenticeships

Welcome to the big time!

The media industry has a long relationship with apprenticeships, and often the fastest way to the top is to start straight away, rather than getting a university degree.

Media & journalism has a great affinity with apprenticeships. It’s an industry where you learn by doing, and favours the practical over the theoretical. Media roles promote creativity, drive and passion over qualifications – even university graduates have to start from the bottom.

Apprenticeships have ramped up in a big way over the last couple of years, with some of the biggest and brightest media organisations offering amazing early careers opportunities.

We have a great range of creative jobs, so keep a lookout for roles such as:

  • Digital Marketing Apprentice
  • Production Apprentice
  • Social Media Apprentice
  • Apprentice Journalist

Degree apprenticeships (also known as level 6 or level 7) are a type of higher qualification that allows you to gain a full university degree during the course of your apprenticeship.

These specialist courses are offered by employers who have teamed up with universities and training providers to create a degree course. These special courses help train students to succeed in all sorts of different sectors and areas of business.

Most students have to make a choice whether to find a job or to study at university, but degree apprenticeships offer the chance to do both!

Types of Media & Journalism apprenticeships

Broadcast media (TV apprenticeships)

Broadcast and production companies offer a great way to get into the media industry as an apprentice. Some of the biggest Uk broadcasters such as the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky all offer technical and production apprenticeship routes on a yearly intake (see individual providers for recruitment window specifics).

Broadcast can be a great way to get your foot-in-the-door of the media industry, with both creative and more administrative roles on offer, the most important thing is gaining some hands-on experience. Once you’re inside an organisation, it is much easier to get to the place you want to be.

Qualifications for broadcast roles aren’t strictly necessary, although basic Maths and English is usually prerequisite for most schemes. The qualities these companies are looking for include, drive, passion, attention to detail and a quick learner. Any experience you can pull upon to demonstrate these attributes is a real bonus, plus any experience within the technical side of broadcast, be that via volunteering or work experience, would also be positive.

Digital Media apprenticeships

Digital media is a huge industry that continues to grow. With the introduction of platforms like YouTube and Netflix, working in the media industry has become a whole lot more flexible, with lots of interesting opportunities popping up on a regular basis.

Digital media favours those who are tech savvy and have an eye for trends. Apprenticeships in digital media fill up very fast, so keep your eyes peeled.

Visual effects apprenticeships

A Visual Effects Apprenticeship is your VIP pass to the behind-the-scenes magic of movies, games, and even those catchy ads that make you want to buy stuff you don’t need.

You’ll be learning from the pros at big-name companies and get this—you’ll be earning money while you’re at it! It’s like being a magician’s apprentice, but instead of pulling rabbits out of hats, you’re pulling dragons out of computers!

Journalism apprenticeships

Journalism can be a tricky area to break into as an apprentice, but there are limited opportunities available. Unlike broadcast apprentices offered by big media providers, budding journalism apprentices would do well to seek out local opportunities, both in traditional print media and online content creators.

Journalism qualifications usually come from the NCTJ, but some companies are working with universities to produce media-related degree apprenticeships, which include elements of journalism and writing.

Another element of grabbing a rare journalism apprenticeship is to build up a good portfolio or work. This could be a mixture of paid and voluntary writing work, with a focus towards the area of journalism you’d like to work in. If you’re interested in writing there are lots of places that need good writers – you could even get paid writing for us!

Film apprenticeships

The UK has a huge film industry and British talent makes up a good proportion of you favourite Hollywood movies, not to mention all of the excellent home grown cinema. There are a number of different apprenticeship standards that exist within the film industry, including Artists, VFX, Animators, Production and Engineering disciplines.

While there is no dedicated channel to monitor these jobs (they are often sporadic and only around for a short time), you can sign up at the UK Screen Alliance to be notified about jobs and training within the UK film industry, some of which include entry-level and apprenticeship opportunities!

Marketing apprenticeships

Marketing can be a great launchpad for a career in media, whether that’s as part of an in-house marketing team or working as part of a digital, PR or advertising agency.

Marketing apprentices can expect to get hands-on with creating campaigns, designing graphical assets and writing content. Digital marketers, on the other hand will get more involved in the analytical side, working on digital adverts, search engine optimisation, and creating reports.

To land a job as a marketing apprentice you need to showcase your talent and creativity. Without qualifications, a portfolio of work is a must, and if you can showcase your existing skills in writing, photography, graphic design, web development, or video production, this will help to set you apart from the crowd.

What are the entry requirements for media apprenticeships?

The media industry is a lot broader than you think, and it requires all kinds of people and skills to fill in the knowledge gaps. From broadcast engineering to on-screen talent and presenting, the skills required to succeed can vary greatly. This is especially good because creativity works best when lots of different ideas and backgrounds are combined.

As with all apprenticeships, having your GCSEs in Maths and English is a big plus. This is because basic communication and problem-solving are expected in all types of roles. Some apprenticeships may want to see that you can take on A-level qualifications, but many are available from 16+. Creativity, drive and passion can be enough to make you stand out as a great media apprentice, but be sure to check out the individual requirements and apprenticeship levels, to ensure your experience matches what the employer is after.