Apprenticeship CV example

What an apprenticeship employer is deciding

An apprenticeship is a job with training built in. GOV.UK describes it as practical training in a job combined with study, with at least 20% of your normal working hours set aside for that training. So the person reading your application is making a bigger bet than a shop manager hiring a weekend assistant. They are committing to pay you and train you for anything from 8 months to several years, and often a training provider or college is reading alongside them.

That changes what your CV needs to prove. They want to see that you can handle the study side, so your grades matter. They want signs that you have a feel for the work, so practical projects matter. And they want to believe you will stay the course, so your reasons for choosing this trade matter. The rest of this page is about showing each of those.

How applications work, and where your CV fits

In England you search and apply through the GOV.UK Find an apprenticeship service. You can apply from 16, and you can start while you are still at school as long as you will be 16 by the end of the summer holidays. Many adverts on the service use an online form rather than a CV upload, and some send you to the employer's own site. Large employers often have their own application system with questions and tests.

Write your CV anyway. You will copy grades, dates and project descriptions from it into forms, you will need it for employers who ask for one directly, and it is what you take to interview. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own apprenticeship services, so if you live there, start with those.

Match the level to your qualifications

Apprenticeships come in levels, and each advert says which one it is. GOV.UK compares them with other qualifications like this:

• Intermediate: level 2, the same level as GCSEs at grades 9 to 4.
• Advanced: level 3, the same level as A levels.
• Higher: levels 4 to 7, from foundation degree upwards.
• Degree: levels 6 and 7, a bachelor's or master's degree.

Your CV should make it obvious that you meet the entry requirements for the level you are applying for. If the advert asks for five GCSEs at grade 4 or above including maths and English, the reader should be able to tick that off in a few seconds. If you are on a level 3 course, as Jade is in the example, name it exactly: "BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Engineering", not just "engineering at college".

Put maths and English where they cannot be missed

Most apprenticeship adverts mention maths and English, because the training includes written work and, in technical trades, calculations. List each GCSE with its grade, and put maths and English first. If you have not sat them yet, write "predicted" next to the grade. If you resat maths, give the grade you got in the end. If you hold Functional Skills instead of GCSEs, give the subject and the level.

Add the subjects that connect to the trade, too. Design and technology, physics or engineering support a technical apprenticeship. Business or IT support an accounting or digital one. Health and social care supports a care or nursing apprenticeship.

Show aptitude with projects, not adjectives

"Practical and good with my hands" is the phrase every apprenticeship CV uses, and it proves nothing. A short description of a real job you did proves a lot. College assessments, school coursework, things you have built or fixed at home, and work experience placements all count. For each one, say what you did, what tools or methods you used, and how it turned out.

Give projects their own section, near the top, if they are stronger than your work history. That is the case for most applicants under 20. For a non-technical apprenticeship, such as business administration or digital marketing, the same idea applies: a spreadsheet you built for a club, a social media account you ran for a local group, or a school enterprise project.

Say why this apprenticeship

Employers worry about apprentices who apply for everything and leave in the first few months. Your profile at the top of the CV is where you reassure them. In three or four sentences, say what you are studying or doing now, what you are good at with one piece of evidence, and why you want this particular trade or profession. Then say when you can start.

Make your part-time job count

A weekend job is strong evidence that you turn up, which apprenticeship employers care about a lot. Say how long you have held it and what time you start. Then pick the parts closest to the trade. Jade's garden centre job includes using a pallet truck, following manual handling rules and explaining machinery to customers, so those go first. Stacking shelves can go last, or not at all.

Applying for an apprenticeship as an adult

GOV.UK sets a minimum age of 16, and plenty of people start an apprenticeship later, often to change career. If that is you, your CV is longer and the order changes: experience first, then qualifications. Focus on what carries over. A warehouse supervisor applying for a logistics apprenticeship, or a teaching assistant applying for a level 3 early years one, already has evidence of the job. GOV.UK notes that relevant experience or earlier qualifications can shorten your training, so list them clearly and mention them at interview.

Pay while you train

Apprentices are paid employees. From April 2026 the apprentice rate of the National Minimum Wage is £8 an hour, and it applies if you are under 19, or 19 or over and in the first year of your apprenticeship. After that you move to the minimum wage for your age: £10.85 an hour from 18 to 20, and the National Living Wage of £12.71 from 21. Many employers pay more than the minimum, and the rates change every April. There is no salary box on this page because apprentice pay depends on the employer, the level and your age.