Interested in knowing more about apprenticeships? Explore our apprentice case studies to hear directly from apprentices about their experiences and the impact of their journey.
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What is an apprenticeship?
Increasingly recognised as the gold standard in work-based training, apprenticeships are today offered in their thousands. Offering frameworks across a wide variety of industry sectors, a staggering 100,000 employers provide apprenticeships in over 160,000 workplaces.
What’s more, there are now more than 250 varieties of apprenticeship programmes, each one supporting one of 1,400 roles. With programmes designed by the Sector Skills Councils, course content is constantly being developed to ensure emerging young talent has the chance to shine.
An apprenticeship takes one to four years to complete, depending on its level, the sector and the ability of individuals. Apprenticeships offer packages of ‘on the job’ and ‘off the job’ training.
Funding 100% of training fees for 16-18 year old apprentices and up to 50% for those aged 19-24, the Government helps businesses and apprentices alike thrive.
The apprentice specialists –experienced, dedicated. We’re the experts in apprenticeships, because that’s all we do.
Apprentice Case Studies
A word from our apprentice Jayden We spoke with Jayden, Maintenance & Operations Engineer, about his experiences as an apprentice with Prax Find out more >
A word from our apprentice Sophie We spoke with Sophie, Maintenance & Operations Engineer, about her experiences as an apprentice with Prax Find out more >
A word from our apprentice Thomas We spoke with Thomas, Automation & Controls Engineering Technician, about his experiences as an apprentice with VPI Find out more >
Apprentice CV Tips
Writing your first CV can be a little tricky; you need to choose a format and style that best suits the career path you are hoping for. When applying for an apprenticeship, employers are looking for that person that shines brighter than the rest and if you have never been in employment, it is your education, personality and extra curricula’s that will set you apart.
Below are bullet points of what should be included in your Apprentice CV
- An appropriate and professional font
- Education
- Work experience
- Interests
- Extracurricular activities
- References
- A statement explaining why you think you are perfect for the role
Here are five tips on how you should format, present and write your CV…
- Presentation is key – when picking a font never go below size 11. Your font is also something that needs to maintain a mature impression, so choose Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman. Avoid any wacky fonts like Comic Sans. The reason you want a well readable font is that when your CV gets to the hiring managers desk it needs to be easy to read. Your CV also needs to be formatted clearly, including headings for ‘Education, Work Experience, References’ etc so they can easily find what they are looking for. Feel free to use bullet points to make your CV more readable but do not use it for every paragraph, only the vital pieces e.g. your extracurricular activities.
- Add a title – make sure to have your name e.g. ‘Joe Blogg’s CV’ at the top of the paper followed by your address, telephone number and email address. Follow this with an introductory paragraph detailing your career aspirations (e.g. if you are applying for a retail apprenticeship, what attracts you to retail) and any skills you may have that will make them want to employ you.
- Education – After your personal profile, you then need to add your education. It is best to list this in chronological order with the last school you attended being at the top. You do not need to include your primary school so start from secondary school onwards. When it comes to adding qualifications simply list the grade and the subject like so:
GCSEs: English (B), Maths(C), Geography(A), History(D).
Include any academic awards/achievements too e.g. a scholarship, gold award in the English literature challenge.
- Work Experience – after your education any work experience you have acquired should be listed next. This could include any jobs you have had or work experience placements. Add the dates you worked there, the name of the company and the role you had e.g. sales assistant at boots pharmacy). Underneath, add a brief description of your duties there e.g. my duties included: speaking with customers, assisting with the checkout desk, answering the telephone, dealing with difficult customers. This section is important for you to show what skills you possess that would be ideal for the company you are hoping to be employed by. Amend this part to reflect what the job role you are applying for may want to see.
- Interests – this is where you can express yourself and your personality. Detail all interests you have that may be relevant to the apprenticeship you are applying for or that the employer may be interested in. Try to avoid ‘I enjoy hanging out with my mates playing on my Xbox’. Instead, include certificates or achievements you have e.g. I gained a gold medal in a swimming tournament.
Finally, references. Even though you may not have had a job before, you will need to provide a few references from Tutors, Teachers or past employees, if you have had work previously. However, ALWAYS make sure to have asked the referee’s permission beforehand as they may be contacted if you are successful.
Interview Tips
You rarely get a second chance to make a good impression on a prospective employer, so at your interview, it is important that you get it right first time. We have put together some top tips on;
- Preparing yourself
- What to take
- What to wear
- Knowledge about the job & organisation
- Psychological preparation
We have listed 5 Interview tips to assist with that daunting interview…
- Preparing yourself – this is vital to being calm and collected during your interview. First, find out where your interview will take place and when. Do a trial run to find out how long it will take you to get to the interview making sure to give yourself plenty of time. Make sure to arrive 10 minutes prior to your interview time. Do not be late – but if you happen to be, make sure you have contact details for your interviewer so you can let them know in advance.
- What should I take to an interview? First of all, copies of your CV in a portfolio or plastic wallet so they’re easy to access and do not get wrinkled. Ensure to take a pen and paper to take notes of any interesting titbits about the business and notes about the interviewer’s questions. To ensure when they ask ‘do you have any questions for me’ you have some pre-written on hand. Ensure you have directions to your interview, if you are working with a training provider like ourselves, we can provide these for you.
- What should I wear to an Apprenticeship interview? It all depends on what apprenticeship you have applied for and the company you have applied with. Default interview wear is smart attire e.g. suit, shirt and tie, jacket, blouse and skirt/trousers. This will work best for corporate apprenticeships e.g. legal, administration, accountancy etc. If the business is more the labour, manufacturing, blue-collar environment, you can opt for smart casual. The idea is to look like you will fit into the business.
- Know the business – it is essential that you understand the business and the job role you have applied for. You may be asked ‘why do you want to work for our business’ and this is where the company knowledge will be useful, you can use what you know and make sure you have asked yourself that question beforehand. Make sure to study the job role requirements as you may be asked what enticed you to the job and what interests you.
- Psychologically prepare – interviews can seem like daunting experiences but they don’t have to be if you are physically and emotionally prepared. Think about your top accomplishments that may impress the employers, if you struggle, try thinking ‘problem, action, result’. Managing your stress is so important – make sure your morning is positive with limited distractions, try deep breathing if you mind your stress level building. Try picturing yourself in the job – this might give you enough motivation to keep yourself happy and positive through the interview.
Here at Apprentice Employment Agency, we are here to support you from finding you an apprenticeship, assisting with any interview queries and helping you gain the confidence, you need to nail the interview and start on a career path of your dreams.
Useful Resources
Unsure of what industry or role you want to embark on? The National Careers Service have provided this resource to explore all the different work and study choices available to help you better decide on your future.
Still uncertain about what career might be right for you? Take this skills assessment to help align your transferable skills to a relevant career path.
Curious to learn the relationships that exist between education, qualifications, apprenticeships and occupations in England? Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) occupational maps show where technical education can lead for you.
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