An apprenticeship CV with a yellow hard hat on its corner, a screwdriver, and a badge saying Level 3 LEVEL 3

The short answer

An apprenticeship CV should be one page (two if you're an adult with work history) and prove three things: you're genuinely interested in this career, you're reliable enough to hold down a job, and you can learn. Start with a short profile that names the apprenticeship and level, put your education (with English and maths grades) near the top, then any experience, practical skills and relevant interests. Tailor it to each employer, and use the same material to fill in online application forms.

How apprenticeships work (the quick version)

An apprenticeship is a real job with training. According to GOV.UK, as an apprentice in England you're an employee earning a wage, working alongside experienced staff, and spending at least 20% of your normal working hours on training. Apprenticeships take from 8 months to 6 years, depending on the type and level:

  • Foundation and intermediate: level 2, equivalent to GCSEs
  • Advanced: level 3, equivalent to A levels
  • Higher: levels 4 to 7, foundation degree and above
  • Degree: levels 6 and 7, equivalent to a bachelor's or master's degree

To start one in England you need to be 16 or over, living in England and not in full-time education. You can apply while you're still at school, as long as you'll be 16 by the end of the summer holidays. Adults can do apprenticeships too, even if they already have qualifications such as a degree. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own systems. Apprentice pay has its own minimum rate in some cases; check the current figures on GOV.UK's apprentice pay page.

Do you need a CV for an apprenticeship?

Often, but not always. Many apprenticeships in England are advertised on the government's Find an apprenticeship service, where you sign in and complete an online application rather than uploading a CV. Some adverts send you to the employer's own website instead, and larger employers often have their own application process.

A CV is still worth writing, because you'll use it to:

  • Apply to employers and training providers who ask for a CV directly
  • Copy your best answers into application forms (education, experience, skills, why you want the role)
  • Hand to employers at careers fairs and open days
  • Approach local businesses (garages, salons, building firms, nurseries) that may take on an apprentice without advertising
  • Prepare for interview, because everything on it is a talking point

What apprenticeship employers look for

Employers know you don't have experience in the job yet. That's the point of an apprenticeship. They're looking for:

  • Real interest in the career. Why plumbing, accounting or software, and why now? Evidence beats enthusiasm: a project, a course, a relative you've helped, something you've built.
  • Reliability. Attendance, punctuality, sticking at things. Training an apprentice is a big investment, so employers want people who'll finish.
  • Practical or relevant aptitude. Working with your hands, problem solving, organisation, being good with people, depending on the job.
  • English and maths. Many adverts ask for GCSE English and maths at a certain grade. Some apprenticeships include English and maths study if you don't have them yet, so read the requirements carefully.
  • Attitude. Willingness to learn, take instruction and ask questions.

What to include, section by section

Contact details

Name, town, mobile and a sensible email. If you have a driving licence (full or provisional) or your own transport, say so: many trade and field apprenticeships involve getting to different sites. Leave off your age, date of birth and photo.

Profile

Two to four sentences that name the apprenticeship and level, give your strongest evidence of interest and reliability, and say what you want to achieve. For example: "Year 13 student applying for a Level 3 electrical installation apprenticeship. I've wired a garden workshop with my uncle (under his supervision) and spent a week's work experience with a domestic electrician. Reliable, careful and keen to qualify as an electrician."

Education

Your school or college, dates, and qualifications with grades. Put English and maths first because they're often a requirement. Label predicted grades clearly. Include relevant courses (a BTEC in Engineering, a T Level in Digital, a Design and Technology GCSE) and any coursework project that relates to the apprenticeship, with one line about what you made or did.

Experience

Part-time jobs, work experience, volunteering, helping in a family business, and responsibilities at school or in clubs. Write each with two or three bullet points showing reliability and practical skills. Our guide to writing a first CV with no experience has more on turning everyday activities into CV lines.

Skills

Five to eight specific skills: practical ones (using hand tools safely, reading technical drawings, basic soldering), digital ones (Excel, coding in Python, CAD software) and people skills you can back up. For trade apprenticeships, the electrician skills guide shows which skills employers in that field ask for, so you can see which ones you're starting to build.

Interests

For apprenticeships, interests can be strong evidence: fixing bikes or cars, building PCs, cooking, sport, gaming communities, making things. Be specific and show commitment.

Apprenticeship CV example

Kieran is a fictional 17-year-old applying for a Level 3 electrical installation apprenticeship with a local contractor. His details are made up, but this is the kind of CV a sixth former or college student can realistically write.

KIERAN WALSH
Wigan | 07700 900763 | kieran.walsh@example.com | Provisional driving licence

Profile
Year 13 student applying for a Level 3 electrical installation apprenticeship. I've helped wire a garden workshop under the supervision of a qualified electrician in my family, and spent a week's work experience with a domestic electrical firm. Careful, punctual and keen to qualify and work towards my 18th Edition.

Education
Westfield Sixth Form College, Wigan | 2025 to 2027
A levels (predicted): Physics C, Maths C, Product Design B

Hillside High School, Wigan | 2020 to 2025
GCSEs: Maths 6, English Language 5, Combined Science 6-5, Design and Technology 7, Geography 5, Computer Science 6
Design and Technology project: designed and built a bedside lamp with a USB charging port (grade 7)

Experience
Work experience, domestic electrical firm, Wigan | One week, July 2026
- Shadowed an electrician on a kitchen rewire and two consumer unit replacements
- Prepared cable runs, labelled circuits and kept the work area safe and tidy
- Learned how circuits are tested and certified before sign-off

Part-time stock assistant, DIY store, Wigan | September 2025 to present
- Work Saturdays (8 hours) unloading deliveries and restocking the electrical and plumbing aisles
- Help customers find products and explain the difference between fittings
- Not missed a shift in over a year

Skills
Using hand and power tools safely | Reading wiring diagrams and technical drawings | Basic soldering | Fusion 360 (CAD) | Working at a steady pace with attention to detail

Interests
Building and upgrading PCs for friends. Rebuilt a 1990s moped engine with my grandad over two summers.

References
Available on request.

Why it works: everything points at one career. The profile names the apprenticeship, the experience shows reliability and safe working, the education highlights maths, physics and a practical project, and the interests prove he's been doing hands-on work for years. Compare it with the qualified electrician CV example to see where an apprenticeship can take you, or see the school leaver CV example for an applicant aiming at engineering and business apprenticeships.

If you're an adult applying for an apprenticeship

Apprenticeships aren't only for school leavers. If you're changing career, use a two-page CV in the usual reverse-chronological format, and make the profile do the bridging work:

Retail supervisor with six years' experience running shifts of up to 12 people, now applying for a Level 4 Data Analyst apprenticeship. Built the store's weekly sales and staffing tracker in Excel, which the area manager rolled out to four other branches, and completed a free online SQL course in 2026. Looking to train formally in data while applying what I've learned about the business behind the numbers.

Then keep your work history, but rewrite bullet points to bring forward the parts that relate to the apprenticeship (the tracker, the reporting, the problem solving) rather than every retail duty. Our career change CV guide explains this in more detail.

Tailor it for the sector

  • Construction and trades: practical projects, safe working, physical fitness, getting to sites (licence or transport), hands-on hobbies.
  • Engineering and manufacturing: maths and physics grades, Design and Technology projects, problem solving, robotics or coding clubs.
  • Business, admin and finance: organisation, IT skills (Excel, Word, email), dealing with the public, accuracy with numbers or money.
  • Digital and IT: projects you've built, coding languages, fixing devices, online courses, a link to your GitHub or portfolio.
  • Health, care and childcare: caring responsibilities, volunteering with children or older people, patience and communication, first aid. The care assistant CV example shows the training and skills care employers look for.
  • Hair, beauty and hospitality: customer service, creativity, working on your feet, any portfolio or salon or kitchen experience.

Answering "why do you want this apprenticeship?"

You're very likely to be asked this on an application form or at interview. A strong answer has three parts: what got you interested (a real moment, not "I've always wanted to"), what you've done about it since (evidence), and why this employer (something specific about them). Keep a version of about 150 words ready to adapt. If an employer asks for a cover letter, our cover letter examples include one for an apprenticeship.

Common apprenticeship CV mistakes

  • A profile that could be for any job ("looking for an opportunity to develop my skills")
  • Missing English and maths grades, when the advert asks for them
  • No evidence of interest in the career, only statements of it
  • Predicted grades written as if they're results
  • Going onto a second page with filler (for school leavers)
  • Sending the same CV for a plumbing and an accounting apprenticeship

Apprenticeship CV checklist

  • One page (two for adults with a work history)
  • Profile names the apprenticeship, the level and your strongest evidence
  • English and maths grades listed first, predicted grades labelled
  • At least one practical project, job, placement or volunteering role with bullet points
  • Five to eight specific skills relevant to the sector
  • Interests that show hands-on or relevant commitment
  • Driving licence or transport mentioned if the job involves travel
  • A 150-word "why this apprenticeship" answer ready for forms and interviews
  • Referees asked in advance

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