Q&A: Creating the Perfect Apprenticeship Application with bp

In October 2024, we hosted a webinar with bp to learn about the wide variety of apprenticeship programmes available and hear exclusive tips from current apprentices on the application process, assessment stages, and interviews. The event was a flying success with 151 attendees and plenty of questions asked throughout. To summarise the event, bp have provided answers to the questions asked below. We hope this helps you craft the perfect apprenticeship application with bp!

Click here to watch the webinar!

Question: What apprenticeships do bp offer?

• See Apprenticeships | Careers | Home.  All new opportunities will be displayed from 6th November 2024 when they go live.

Question: What locations are bp’s apprenticeships? If I want to apply for an apprenticeship away from where I live, do you offer relocation support?

• Our apprenticeships will be based in Sunbury or Canary Wharf (London) but there are other locations such as Pangbourne (near Reading) and Teesside.  Locations can vary from year to year.  Check Apprenticeships | Careers | Home as each ad will show the location.
• Unfortunately we don’t offer any relocation support, however, every joining apprentice gets a £3000 joining bonus with their first pay packet - although do be aware that this is subject to tax and National Insurance.

Question: Where do apprentices live if the apprenticeship is far from home?

• Usually in private rented accommodation – in each location, we will connect incoming apprentices and existing early careers hires with each other to help with any flat shares or support.
  

Question: What is the study vs work split?

• 20% study/80% work

Question: Is it necessary to have work experience on your application?

• No – use any of your life experiences to answer questions – we expect people to have limited work experience at this age and stage.  Examples from home, school, part time jobs, clubs, teams, etc. are all fine.

Question: How important are grades compared to work experience?

• Grades are only important for the initial eligibility.  Work experience is not necessary but anything you do have can be used for competency based question answers.

Question: Can you give an example of keywords in your job application? 

• We don’t look for buzz words – instead we look for strong motivation and an understanding of any terms you use.

Question: I want to take a gap year. What is the best way to utilise my gap year to increase my chances of getting into a good apprenticeship?

• Research the apprenticeships you’d like to apply for this year – and think about how you can meet the skills and requirements – if you don’t have all these – for example, if you need to increase a grade or take a different subject, you can do that.
• You can also make sure your gap year experiences give you some examples to use for motivation questions – for example, if you travelled to a developing country, did you see a need for more affordable or more reliable energy supplies?
• For competency based questions – any  examples of experiences that allowed you to show leadership, resolve issues, or learn and develop.

Question: What should I wear to an interview and what is the dress code in the office?

• Whatever you are comfortable with!  There is no formal dress code, but most people wear smart jeans and casual shirts, jumpers, or t-shirts – as long as there are no offensive images or writing on them. Look at our website, brochure and videos to see what real people are wearing in the office.

Question: What things do you look for in a software development apprenticeship application?

• The exact requirements will be shown on the ad - Apprenticeships | Careers | Home but you will likely need to have a computer science related A level, and demonstrable coding skills.

Question: What exactly does a people and culture apprenticeship entail? 

• People and Culture is essentially HR, you typically work in 4 different roles over the course of the apprenticeship. The first year tends to be in services and solutions so could be in terminations, onboarding, or processing leave - you also learn a lot about the company which is super helpful. After the first year, you move into a more specialised role or something called partnering for a certain area of the business, where you help them out with any HR related tasks. At the end you get a business management degree out of it!
  

Question: What is the success rate of getting a job afterwards?

• Whilst all our apprenticeships are offered on a fixed term contract basis, and therefore a permanent job is not guaranteed, it is always our aim to convert people to a permanent job afterwards.