BBC World Service Languages Future Voices Trainee Scheme 2017

The BBC World Service Languages will give you the chance to experience life at the BBC as a journalist, including what it is like working in two languages – English and one other of the World Service languages listed below. 

Application Deadline: 24th July, 2017

To Be Taken At (Country): London, United Kingdom

About the Award: The BBC reports from more locations than any other international broadcaster, and increasingly are training up bilingual reporters, who can bring the story in English and another language.  World Service Languages has TV bulletins in eleven languages in addition to its long-established Persian and Arabic TV channels. WSL are a dynamic, ambitious, challenging news organisation bringing the world’s stories to BBC News, at New Broadcasting House in the heart of London.

An interested candidate does not need any journalism skills before they start but must be interested and able to demonstrate that. BBC offers training in radio, TV and digital journalism. Candidates will spend time in the relevant language service within World Service, and in other parts of BBC News. Candidates will meet a whole range of people here, from bilingual reporters, producers, editors, presenters, camera operators to online and social media journalists. Candidates will come out with a good idea of the wide-ranging journalism that goes on at the BBC World Service and other parts of BBC News. Candidates will have a mentor during their work experience, and will be assigned interesting and productive duties.

BBC wants you to have a great experience, so from day one candidate will get to experience working life on BBC programmes, and how BBC journalists contribute and develop ideas, as well as how they work in two languages.

Type: Short Courses/Trainee

Eligibility: To participate in the scheme, candidate must be fully bilingual in speaking, reading and writing in both English and one of the following languages:

Arabic, Azeri, Bengali, Burmese, Chinese, Dari, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kyrgyz, Farsi, French for Africa*,Hausa, Indonesian, Pashto, Russian, Sinhala, Somali, Swahili, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, Vietnamese

(Please note: We would expect any French for Africa candidate to have significant experience of living in Francophone Africa and expertise in Sub-Saharan Africa).

In addition to this the BBC has one placement available for someone to spend time with their English for Africa services. This person would need to have extensive experience of and expertise in sub-Saharan African news, culture and current affairs. Ideally they would speak another African language not listed above and be able to provide insight into a region of sub-Saharan Africa.

• Candidates will  be able to speak, read and write fluently in both of their two languages.
• Candidates will be passionate about international news, be interested in the world they live in both in the UK and abroad, and keep up with the news.
• Candidates will also be familiar with the BBC World Service.
• Candidates will be a great communicator, curious and questioning, and good at getting their message across.
• There are no minimum entry requirements, but candidates must be able to show that they’re passionate about news, and about pursuing a career in the media industry.
• Candidates You must be over 18, and, to get the most out of their time here, should be available to attend every day Monday-Friday for the dates stated.  The scheme takes place at New Broadcasting House in London.

This scheme is open to people from all backgrounds and from every corner of the UK. We are looking to tap into the second generation diaspora experience within the UK and we welcome applications from BAME candidates.

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value of Award: 

• Candidates will receive training and an introduction to the BBC as well as radio, TV and digital journalism skills.
• Candidates will spend time in at least one of the language services of the BBC and in other programmes and output areas in BBC News.
• Candidates will be paid a trainee salary for the duration of the scheme. The BBC may help with travel expenses.

Duration of Program: September 4th to October 13th 2017 (6 weeks)

How to Apply: Apply

Visit the Program Webpage for Details

Award Providers: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)