10,000 chase 500 BBC jobs at Salford Quays

Exclusive Neal Keeling and James Ferguson

April 19, 2010

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More than 10,000 people have applied for 500 new BBC jobs at MediaCityUK in Salford Quays.

A jobs website launched earlier this year is getting an average of 200 applications everyday.

Among the jobs on offer are journalism, broadcasting, administration, marketing, and IT, and research.

Ken Lee, head of human resources for the BBC North, said: “We are going to have work opportunities for at least 500 people over the next two years.

“Before the end of this year we will be offering the first jobs to people.

”We guarantee that everyone who applies will be given our full consideration.

”We are determined to be fully reflective of our audience.

“For many people this will be their first foothold in broadcasting.”

A total of 428 people will be relocating from London to staff MediaCity - 46 per cent of those who were offered the chance to move.

Some 800 staff currently based at BBC Manchester on Oxford Road will also transfer to Salford.

And 40 staff have already relocated from London and are working at Oxford Road.

Relocate

The functions that will relocate to Salford, which goes live in 2011, include BBC Sport, BBC Radio 5 Live, Children's BBC and BBC Learning.

Mr Lee added: “Content is king, but technology is key to delivering that content.”

MediaCity will eventually house 15,000 jobs but many will be as result of firms relocating.

At a local level Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company estimate that 3,250 extra jobs will be created.

The Oasis Academy – a high school specialising in media studies – is to be relocated from Weaste in Salford, to the Quays to forge links with the BBC and other organisations at MediaCity.

Salford's then Labour MP, Hazel Blears, lobbied government that the renewal of the BBC charter in 2004 should be on condition that the move north went ahead.

She said a priority had to be that local people got the jobs and apprenticeships on offer.

One development which should provide jobs for local people is the opening of the upmarket supermarket chain Booths at MediaCity. It is likely to create 180 jobs and is set to open next year.

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Hands of Stone, Southside, Manchester UK (19/04/2010 at 10:34)

I don't know where to start with this patronising piece that insults the intelligence and humours the reader:

Salford's then Labour MP, Hazel Blears, lobbied government that the renewal of the BBC charter in 2004 should be on condition that the move north went ahead.

So if a man robs a bank but then puts a tenner in the blind box, is that then ok?

Also, are local peple only in with a shout of working in the supermarket then? Not that there's anything wrong with working in a supermarket, its the assumption of the piece that local people will only be suitable for those roles.

Who wrote this? Bet there not Manc/Salfordian....

tomegranate (19/04/2010 at 11:02)

I think the distinction is that nobody is going to relocate from London to work in a supermarket. You should seek a physio, that huge chip on your shoulder can't be doing you any good.

SalfordQuaysMark (19/04/2010 at 11:06)

...ah yes... but of the 10,000, how many have passed there 1-2 hour BBC North Online Assessment?... I think the number of applicants was inevitable wasn't it... the numbers will get much higher when the first phase gets closer to completion...

http://www.mediacityuksalfordquays.net/mcuk.htm

Stevedore, Quayside (19/04/2010 at 11:52)

Hands of Stone, Southside, Manchester UK

I don't know where to start with this patronising piece that insults the intelligence and humours the reader:

What exactly is it that you think is patronising about this piece?

Hands of Stone, Southside, Manchester UK (19/04/2010 at 11:58)

There is nothing to indicate that the supermarket jobs are for local people due to geographical convenience? The indication is that the BBC 'prestige' jobs are above the local workforce but the supermarket ones are not.

No chip on my shoulder matey - I just see the angle and suggestion at which this is written, whereas you just seem to want to pick a row, you oddball.

Hands of Stone, Southside, Manchester UK (19/04/2010 at 13:46)

Stevedoore - errrr...tghe fact that it reads like it is looking down its nose at the 'peasant' people of salford and Manchester.

Is that ok with you?

Stevedore, Quayside (19/04/2010 at 14:27)

Hands of Stone, Southside, Manchester UK

Is that ok with you?

No its not but that is not what is being stated. When commercial and/or industrial organisations or government organisations relocate they generally offer existing employees the opportunity to relocate with them. That is what has happened on this occasion where 428 people will be relocating to Salford from London. As for other vacancies within the BBC at MediaCityUK it is stated by "Ken Lee, head of human resources for the BBC North, said: “We are going to have work opportunities for at least 500 people over the next two years.

“Before the end of this year we will be offering the first jobs to people.

”We guarantee that everyone who applies will be given our full consideration.

In other words, people from Salford and Manchester can apply for those jobs as can anyone else from wherever in the country; what is patronising about that?

Marlander, Marland (19/04/2010 at 15:11)

Bendroflumethiazide, manchester (19/04/2010 at 15:24)

The point is - these jobs are to located here in the region - as opose to having them in the south and in particular London. The BBC has made a wise choice and correct in stating that it must represent the regions appropriately. We'll make a great job of it up here - I'm sure of that.

Knowall, stretford end (19/04/2010 at 15:49)

The local people will not want the job in the Supermarket or at the BBC as it involves getting out of bed and work, much better to cash the GIRO every two weeks. The reality is given the proximity to the motorway that the majority of workers will commute 20 miles or more.
Marlander, Marland

I'm a local person who since leaving University in 1984 have been in full time employment, much like the 94% of my fellow Salfords, and your reality comes from where? Ho about given the abundance of new modern appartments in the vicinity most will walk to work.

Hands of Stone, Southside, Manchester UK (19/04/2010 at 16:00)

Bendro - Yes overall -good, but the local workforce must be further engaged than being the cleaners or checkout etc otherwise they are alienated and resentful. There is nothing wrong at all with either of those jobs by the way, but if the BBC want to be genuine stakeholders in the community and are not a ruthless business like others then they need to prove it by inversting in the local population - this is an opportunity to change the culture of an environment that helped build Manchester to then be tossed aside for decades even since the regeneration and rebtranding of Manchester Docks, its an opportunity for the Beeb to change culture, society and history - please don't make it a half assed attempt like so many before you!

James Yates, Hyde, Cheshire (19/04/2010 at 17:27)

Just what I thought. Nobody want to work up North that's why government, business and the Ministry of Defence facilities are all in the home counties. You just can't get qualified people to live north of the Watford Gap (which is also roughly the language barrier between Norman-Posh and Danish-based English, by the way). What a strange coincidence. Is England perhaps not a class society but a tribal society? Think about it. Then a lot of other things also begin to make sense.

ebble, manchester (19/04/2010 at 18:06)

I resent having a tax on my TV use to pay for all the junk that the BBC produces.

The BBC should be subscription based so that those who want what it makes can pay for it all themselves.

If we are to have a tax on TV use then I'd rather the cash raised by it was used to employ people to do something useful such as care for elderly or work in education, the NHS or the police. It's a disgrace that I'm forced to use it to pay people to make trashy TV and radio programmes from the BBC, made at Salford Quays or anywhere else for that matter.

ledbymonkeys (19/04/2010 at 18:58)

hm,all those well paid media jobs ,and what do the locals get earmarked for ....bloody supermarket jobs.
Not really what we were promised is it Salford council,well worth the 20 + million we paid to sponsor the bbc philharmonic .I dont think

catterickblue, Catterick (19/04/2010 at 19:34)

Hands of Stone, you come across as another one of these negative spin on everything merchants. With your outlook it's little wonder people are unwilling to invest in Manchester.
If you had read the article it was highlighting how many jobs were being retained by the BBC personnel for people re-locating etc. The supermarket is just the first opportunity for those wishing to seek new employment.
I have read it four times and see no patronising nor any indication that BBC prestige jobs are above us Northern people. You have no idea what other jobs are available or in the pipeline. You and Marland are obviously a match made in your own wallowing world of self pity. If you're unemployed, trust me the fact that one job more in the area is an opportunity.

radiojaney, Salford (19/04/2010 at 19:59)

Thais ONLY 20 applicants per a position.
Which is not many at all considering the current jobs climate

Orb, Rochdale (19/04/2010 at 20:12)

Not bad stats! I was recently working for Jobcentreplus and a warehouse/order picker job paying minimum wage would attract about 500 applicants for a single job. 20 applicants per role is peanuts.

Hands of Stone, Southside, Manchester UK (20/04/2010 at 13:52)

M.E.N please post my previous comments? They gave a bit of stick in the jovial manner in which they were received, if we cant have a bit of banter on these pages when our personal opinions are picked to pieces by unprovoked attackers then where can we let off a bit of steam? or is it against your human rights charter to allow such banter to be returned?

Catterick blue (what part of Manchester) and Stevedore (post-grad out of towner) Im talking about you two! My replies have been blocked on two occasions.

MarkinIrlam, Irlam (20/04/2010 at 16:15)

The employer is now duty bound to advertise jobs externally, despite following the process to the letter you may find that the BBC are just going through the motions.

I would suspect that the majority of the roles have been earmarked well before they were advertised.

thevoice66, Alkrington (22/04/2010 at 23:56)

As SalfordQuaysMark noted below ... how many of the actual applications have been invited to undertake the online assessments - and how many have actually completed them? It is a pretty intensive couple of hours and you need to concentrate to complete them properly. I have to admit that BBC HR are keeping me regularly up-to-date with emails, but I'm no closer to really knowing if I will ever get an interview!

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