The new First Steps mentoring programme is aimed at people who want to apply for one of the BBC’s sought-after New Talent schemes, but feel there is a barrier to them applying. It mixes practical advice with mentoring and work shadowing. It allows real talent to shine through and prepares people to make their application.

“We were looking for diverse, talented young people with a passion for some kind of media, who have that creative spark but who might find formal applications challenging,” explains Madeline Ferguson, partnership manager with the BBC Academy.

During three life-changing days, 24 people based in London and Manchester have been offered support with the aim of helping them to progress through the application process for the BBC’s Production and Journalism Apprenticeships when they launch on 13 March.

“It can be really daunting to apply for one of our apprenticeships and we appreciate that. The online questions, situational judgement tests and application to a deadline can be a tough process. First Steps is here to give a little bit of help to talented applicants from diverse backgrounds.”

Not open for general application, the Academy worked with partners like the Orpheus Performing Arts College (for young disabled artists), Clean Break (for female ex-offenders) and Talent Match (working with young people furthest from the jobs market) to find promising individuals in London and Salford.

On day one the participants met their mentors who were volunteers taken from BBC journalism and production teams and had a tour of TV and radio studios, as well as thinking about what it takes to make a programme during a pitching exercise. The next stage is a day of shadowing in the workplace, followed by a separate day of employability training - going through what makes a good application and offering some help with interview skills.

“I really enjoyed the [first] day. It was inspiring and exciting to see all the different departments and studios, and I really felt at home,” says Lucy in Manchester. “[It’s] confirmed to me that the BBC is the place I want to pursue my career, and I'm going to work as hard as I can to get there!”

On 13 March 2017 we open applications for our Production and Journalism Apprenticeship and Trainee schemes. The schemes start in September and are based across the UK.

We hope to run First Steps again in the future. Follow @BBCGetIn for announcements

One of the perks of being an apprentice is that we get to travel around the country and take part in different things. Only two months into our apprenticeship and we had the amazing opportunity to help cover the US Elections as part of the BBC team.

Firstly we had no idea where we were going. Have you ever heard of Elstree and Borehamwood? Well you might have if you’re a fan of any of the popular programmes filmed there like Holby City and Strictly. It’s where some great films have been made for more than 100 years and Elstree is a little village about 10 miles north of London.

When we got there we wondered if we had intruded into someone’s home or a hospital! The massive election coverage was about to take place and there were people in robes and paramedic uniforms walking around. It was a strange sight - until we realised they were actors for Holby City. Photographs were strictly not allowed and we struggled to hold back our urge to take pictures. But professionalism came first.

The gallery where we were to be based was almost like a big war room you see in the old films. You might call it a command centre but in the media world it’s called a gallery. There are rows of computers on desks and multiple screens of different sizes at the front on the wall showing various news channels and studios. We sat on a deck at the back overlooking it all. Everyone was given a whole election production pack beforehand detailing names, procedures and information about how we were going to cover it.

We watched as BBC presenters rehearsed the day before. Whether they were practising their lines, adjusting their posture or discussing things with the producer, it was cool to see what happens behind the scenes. We also saw how much care the BBC has to take over language used, to describe voters, for instance. Another interesting thing we saw was "Clinton wins presidency" going up on the screen, which is why we weren’t initially allowed to take or publish any pictures. The team was rehearsing the eventuality of either candidate winning and a picture of that going out would have caused quite some disturbance, to say the least. It was only a rehearsal, after all.

On the day we tried (in vain) to get some sleep before the overnight coverage. We went in at 9pm buzzing and raring to go. We got set up on our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts, ready to spot anything that would help the online or broadcast coverage. We worked throughout the night forwarding quotes, pictures and interesting things on social media to our colleagues in Millbank and New Broadcasting House.

Elstree was the main hub or engine room through which everything else was channelled. We received information and sent it to other BBC hubs.

At 3am I was still scrolling through Twitter feeds and by then it was clear which direction the voting had gone. I looked at the clock and two hours had elapsed in a flash. It was 5am and we almost had confirmation of the winner.

Getting that far into the night was only possible due to the runner who kept us fed and watered. Every half hour or so he asked if we needed water or coffee and kept us going on chocolates and crisps.

There was one point where I fell asleep around 6am… (but don’t tell anyone that!).

After Trump was confirmed we had to keep working to get reactions from world leaders and celebrities etc. and send them through to our colleagues so the BBC could publish them.

We went home around nine or 10 in the morning, exhausted but pleased at our efforts. It was a great experience where we learned the value of teamwork and collaboration across departments and buildings. We saw how meticulous and planned you have to be to cover such important events and the stresses and enjoyment that go along with it.

Days later, we were still catching up on our sleep though!

For the past 11 months I've been on the BBC's Journalism Trainee Scheme, working on news online in Leeds, 5 Live and Breakfast TV.

The JTS is obviously an incredibly demanding course - we're constantly circulating between placements, getting to know new people and learning the ropes of each platform. I was really keen from the offset though to try and keep up with chasing original stories outside of the news agenda, as it can be so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind.

When a current affairs editor stumbled upon a film I made before the JTS and said he enjoyed the style of it, I made sure to stay in touch and on his radar.

A few months later we bandied a few ideas about and from this meeting an opportunity came up to create a short film for The One Show on some of the modern day conflicts within the Muslim community. I was fascinated to get stuck into some of the difficulties young women particularly can face if they choose to leave or join Islam and I really wanted to create something that moved away from the typical, often one-dimensional pieces we see on extremism.

After work and on weekends, I spent time getting to know some interesting case studies over a few months, who I found through blogs, Twitter and even meeting face-to-face at events. It was really crucial for me to allow the story some breathing space and to really try and gain contributor's trust before launching into any filming.

One of the most difficult challenges I faced was getting the tone of the piece right – tackling anything to do with religion in this current climate can be difficult, so it was key we created something thoughtful and interesting, without being too inflammatory for a prime-time, family programme like The One Show.

My JTS training really came into action after my idea was pitched and commissioned. Key skills we'd learned from TV training like asking open-ended questions and being aware of your body language and composure when doing pieces-to-camera instantly put me at ease and meant I was rightly focusing on bringing the best out of my interviewee.

The whole journey was a real crash-course in some of the ups and downs of getting TV pieces to air, but it really hit home how important it is to be resilient in journalism and keep your composure amongst set-backs.

It was an incredible experience getting creative control and being fully immersed in the idea from its conception, to crafting the journalistic angle and then getting to present on the final report. Seeing the finished product go out on national TV was a proud moment and really re-iterated to me why challenging yourself to go beyond the day-to-day can really make an impact.

At our induction we were given a fright when we were told "you don’t work for the BBC... you are the BBC". Ordinary people like us make up the BBC. In some ways, we’re simply public servants who work for the benefit of the diverse audience the BBC caters for.

Diversity was not lacking in our group of around 70 new apprentices, which ranged from former military and ex-footballers to bloggers, school leavers and baristas. Already, we had become a diverse but dynamic group which proves that whatever your background or history, there’s no such thing as a ‘typical’ BBC candidate.

As opposed to standard inductions when you have to sit through hours of DVDs, we were engaged through tasks, thought-provoking sessions and lively debates. Networking was encouraged right from the outset. It is deemed essential as we’re all likely to work with one another in the future. One BBC and one purpose is the underpinning motivation as we learnt what John Reith, founder of the BBC said: "A successful organisation has values".

We discussed which BBC value was most important (realising they all intertwined in some way or another) and had an afternoon learning about editorial values. Far from being boring, editorial values brought up some fascinating dilemmas such as whether it’s right to sacrifice fact and accuracy for the purpose of entertainment, and the difference between product placement and product prominence.

Throughout the week, we were given informal but focused training, information and attention. Apart from the BBC side of it, we also discovered there’s such a thing as a fear of belly-buttons! Yes, we were given a well-rounded induction where any preconceived thoughts of the BBC being a corporate kind of organisation were disproved. We were able to ask direct questions about anything on our minds and were given thorough answers.

We recorded our own radio horror drama using scripts, sound effects and props, and learnt about the future of broadcasting and cloud-based systems. We were also treated to an uncanny impression of Alan Hansen by one of the radio actors.

We had a session learning about what traits make a person successful and were given personalized reports about our main strengths and weaknesses, which were surprisingly accurate and helpful.

A creative thinking session taught us to come up with different ideas and how to think differently to produce original stories.

We were encouraged to make the most of this opportunity having overcome 131 other candidates per role in what is clearly a competitive industry. The ability to forge our own careers and shape our own futures at the BBC was reiterated.

For me, it was at least my third attempt to get a role at the BBC. Many of us still don’t believe we actually made it or how we did it. Some still think they’re in a dream soon to wake up disappointed!

All it shows is that the opportunities are out there for literally everyone. All you need is the belief, drive, passion and resilience. The rest can be taught later, just as we’re about to find out as we begin our journey at the BBC.

Last weekend brought with it so many new experiences – where do I even start?

I’d been asked to audition for a job as social media presenter at Scotland’s biggest music festival, T in the Park, and as if that wasn’t a big enough honour, I somehow got the job.

It’s difficult to even call it a job, when in reality it’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had. It entailed interviewing some of the festival line-up for the BBC T in the Park Twitter feed.

After arriving on Friday afternoon, we kicked straight off with acts like James Morrison, Fun Lovin' Criminals and Alessia Cara. To ease me in, you know? Day one was a blur of excited giggles and coffee.

On the Saturday morning, I took part in my first two-way on Radio Scotland. Stood on the windowsill of my dorm room trying to get a phone signal, I went live for the first time ever. It was a real proud moment hearing myself introduced to the listeners as a presenter. Me? Really?

The weekend was full on, with thirteen-hour shifts and an ever-changing timetable. Sometimes I think the only thing that kept me awake was the buzz I got from each interview. We spoke to some heavy hitters – Bastille, James Bay, Slaves, Travis – but as each interview passed it felt a little less surreal and more like my dream job. They’re veteran interviewees after all, and I almost feel like if ever I get the pleasure of bumping into James Morrison again, I’d greet him like an old friend.

Without even having the time to come back to earth and reflect on the experience so far, it was decided we would finish off Sunday’s coverage with a Facebook Live stream. I was given maybe twenty minutes notice, and I swear, my insides turned to soup.

Luckily, the wonderful Edith Bowman was on board to keep me afloat, and around five seconds after we started recording, I forgot all about my stresses and focussed on the reality: sitting on a couch with one of my broadcasting heroes, talking about music. I can’t imagine a more perfect way to have ended the weekend.

The beauty of being an apprentice is that it’s okay to ask a million questions, it’s okay to not get it right first time, and you’re free from the constraints of an everyday job to grab every opportunity offered to you.

Embrace your apprenticeship; it will love you back, and then some.

Find out more about the Digital Journalism Apprenticeship.