People & culture (P&C) – degree apprenticeship
Our teams come from all kinds of different cultures and backgrounds – so a career in human resources as a people & culture (P&C) advisor is always going to be exciting, challenging and full of incredible opportunities
As a global energy business, we lead the world in powering a cleaner, more sustainable future. And as our business is so diverse, so are the types of people we employ: from engineers and geologists out in the field, to IT professionals, research scientists, financial traders and retail workers.
Because of this, our teams come from all kinds of different cultures and backgrounds – so a career in human resources as a people & culture advisor is always going to be exciting, challenging and full of incredible opportunities.
Study for a business management degree during your P&C apprenticeship
To excel as a P&C professional, you need to understand business strategy, how the business works and how to get the best out of people to support business goals.
That’s why, on our P&C degree apprenticeship, we’ll pay for your business management degree. You’ll have the opportunity to take everything you learn from your studies and apply it directly to the business, which will help you develop your career as a P&C professional in a world-leading multi-national organization.
Join our P&C degree apprenticeship to:
- Gain experience of every part of our global organization in a structured four-year programme
- Study towards a business management degree
- Enjoy exciting long-term career options and development with a future-thinking world leader
- Earn while you learn, with a competitive starting salary
Applications for this programme have now closed.
The experience
A mixture of on-the-job experience and classroom learning
On our P&C degree apprenticeship you’ll enjoy plenty of on-the-job experience, with 20% of your time dedicated to formal learning. This will include core degree activity, as well as access to our own internal P&C learning and development, to help you develop technical, business and behavioural competencies.
You’ll have full support from your apprenticeship training provider and the bp people & culture early career programme team – as well as regular structured feedback on your development, progress to date, and next steps. In addition, you’ll be guided at every step by an experienced mentor and buddy.
The degree apprenticeship programme is based at our International Centre for Business and Technology (ICBT) in Sunbury-on-Thames. From time to time you may also be required to travel to our central London offices.
What to expect: your four-year degree apprenticeship
On this four-year programme, you’ll split your time between a number of exciting roles. Each role will give you a comprehensive introduction to bp, our businesses and our people & culture function. In these rotational roles, you’ll gain knowledge of the sub-disciplines within P&C, and develop the technical, business and behavioural skills you’ll need to become a well-rounded P&C professional.
Your first 12 months: building skills
Your first year will be spent in services & solutions to give you a fundamental appreciation of how P&C operates, developing your understanding of P&C policy, advice, systems, process and employee experience. This foundation will be invaluable as you move into your next rotations.
The next 36 months: broadening your development
Your first year is followed by two rotations in a people & culture specialist or partnering role, depending on your development needs, your study plan and available opportunities at the time.
Aligning with our graduate programme
You will be developed alongside our people & culture graduates and will be part of that broader early career community. If you meet the programme requirements and successfully complete your business management degree, you’ll formally graduate from the programme after four years.
After qualifying: a rewarding career
Beyond formal early career programmes, bp employees tend to move roles every two to four years (subject to performance and experience).
We are committed to providing the guidance and tools to support your continued development and success.
Throughout your career at bp, there will be many options for further development. Whichever route you choose to take, we can offer you a very rewarding career.
Discover a range of opportunities within bp
During your four-year P&C degree apprenticeship, you’ll rotate through the following areas:
Services & solutions
This area is responsible for delivering centralised and standardised P&C services for bp. They’re the first point of contact for HR related matters; the team are policy and process experts, dedicated to delivering the best customer experience possible. During your rotations in the services & solutions team, you can expect to work on projects and processes centred around:
- HRIS and payroll systems implementation and improvements
- People & culture data analysis
- bp’s P&C service centre and other outsourcing services throughout the region
- Development/implementation of HR systems and process
- Country start-ups and P&C operations infrastructure set-up
- New hire orientation
- Employment risk assessments
P&C consulting
At least one of your rotations will be in P&C consulting, providing support across a broad range of HR-related issues, policies, and practices.
Your responsibilities may include:
- Salary planning
- Employee relations
- Performance management
- Talent management
- Diversity and inclusion
- Change management
- Resourcing
- Policy interpretation
P&C specialist (centre of excellence)
Your P&C specialist rotation will give you the opportunity to gain a deeper experience and understanding in a specific P&C discipline, such as the following:
Reward
Projects could include: salary determination, executive compensation, variable pay, equity/long-term incentive, health and welfare benefits, wellness, pension and savings.
Talent acquisition
Projects could include: human resources data analysis, talent and sourcing strategy, business support to both P&C consultants and line management, diversity and inclusion initiatives, recruitment life cycle.
International mobility
Projects could include: assignment support to both inbound and outbound expatriates, HR IM system implementation and improvements, data management and analysis, development/implementation/interpretation of HR IM policies, vendor management, cost optimisation.
Employee and labour relations
Projects could include: global, cross-segment exposure, labour union issues, employee relations processes (e.g., investigations, training, organizational restructuring), human resources policy, supporting processes, and communications, HR compliance, risk assessments.
Talent and learning
Projects could include: support of function, segment or groupwide initiatives, learning design and delivery, effective utilization of corporate memberships and partnerships for learning resources, support of talent development programmes.
Why the P&C discipline is so important to us
Attracting and retaining the very best people in our industry – regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability or any other characteristic – is what makes us competitive in an ever-changing business landscape.
At bp, our people & culture professionals support the business to recruit, retain and reward people who can keep us ahead of the global energy challenge. They also help build our internal capability by anticipating the demand for new skills. So of course, it is a business area that’s integral to our continued growth and development.
We’re committed to doing the right thing, working as one team, supporting our people’s development and creating a great place to work. And that’s in large part thanks to our P&C professionals. They act as critical thinkers and strategic business partners – drawing on their unique knowledge sets to offer advice, guidance and challenge to managers and employees on P&C strategy and every aspect of the employee lifecycle.
So who are we looking for?
We believe in hiring people with the right core competencies and interest, rather than specific technical experience. That’s why, when it comes to our degree apprenticeship programme, we welcome applicants from a range of academic subject backgrounds.
Most importantly, we’re looking for people who have a real passion to work in a global business, and a drive to support the people aspects of our business agenda.
To be successful, you must be committed and motivated to studying towards a business management degree qualification. You must also have the ability to work on your own initiative – and be able to work co-operatively as part of a team. You’ll have a keen eye for detail, excellent written, verbal communication and numeracy skills, and the ability to plan ahead and prioritize your workload.
Requirements
To apply, you must be aged 18 or over at the start of the programme in September 2023.
If you’re studying A-levels or completing further education, you must be due to complete your qualification/s in 2023 (we’re unable to progress applications for students who will be part way through their studies when the programme starts).
You'll also need to have:
- A-level (level 3) at B,B,C or above (112 UCAS points), or BTEC extended diploma with D,M,M or Access to HE Diploma
- GCSE qualifications (Level 2) A*-C or 9-4 in English and Maths
- Applicants with a level 3 apprenticeship qualification will also be considered
This programme is designed for school leavers and other individuals who do not have a degree. If you’re studying or have a degree, please apply to our student and graduate opportunities.
Details of any travel required as part of your degree will be clarified during the selection process. We’re happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments you may require.
