Apprenticeship CV UK: 2026 Guide with Examples

Use your name, phone number, professional email address, town or city, and a relevant link if useful. A LinkedIn profile, online portfolio, GitHub profile, design portfolio, or project page can help for some routes, but only include it if it supports the application.

You do not need a photo, full postal address, or personal details that do not help the employer assess your fit. Keep the top of the CV clean so the reader can move quickly into your profile and evidence.

Your profile should be short. Aim for four to six lines. It should connect your current situation, target apprenticeship area, useful strengths, and one or two pieces of evidence.

Weak profile wording sounds like this:

Motivated and hard-working candidate looking for an apprenticeship where I can develop my skills and gain experience.

That tells the reader very little. Stronger wording gives them something to assess:

College student completing a Level 3 BTEC in Engineering, with practical workshop experience in measuring, basic fabrication, and safe tool use. Looking for an engineering apprenticeship where I can build on strong maths results, reliable attendance, and hands-on interest in mechanical systems.

The second version works because it names the route, gives evidence, and sounds believable.

If education is your strongest evidence, put it before experience. This is common for school leavers, sixth-form students, college students, and applicants for higher or degree apprenticeships.

If you have part-time work, volunteering, a placement, or previous employment, you may put experience first. Adult applicants and career changers often need a hybrid structure: profile, relevant skills, experience, education, then projects or training.

Use the order that helps the recruiter understand your fit fastest. Do not copy a generic template if it hides your strongest proof halfway down the page.

Education matters on an apprenticeship CV because it helps the employer understand your current level and potential. Include the qualification name, school or college, dates, subjects, and grades where they support the advert.

Useful formats include:

• GCSEs: English Language 6, Maths 5, Science 6, Design and Technology 7.
• BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Business: predicted Distinction Merit Merit.
• T Level in Digital Production, Design and Development: currently completing, with industry placement.
• A-levels: Maths, Physics, Computer Science, predicted BBC.
• Functional Skills English and Maths: Level 2, completed 2025.

If you are still studying, say so. If results are predicted, label them as predicted. If an advert asks for English and maths, make those easy to spot rather than burying them in a long subject list.

Projects can be excellent apprenticeship evidence because they show practical interest. They are especially useful for digital, engineering, construction, creative, business, science, care, and finance routes.

A project section can include coursework, practical assignments, portfolio work, competitions, self-directed learning, community projects, or hobbies that involve relevant skill. The trick is to describe what you did, not just what the project was.

Instead of writing:

Built a website for a school project.

Write:

Built a five-page website for a school enterprise project, using HTML and CSS to create product pages, contact forms, and a mobile-friendly layout.

That one sentence shows technical interest, task ownership, and practical output.

Part-time work does not need to match the apprenticeship area to be useful. Retail, hospitality, babysitting, tutoring, delivery, stock work, and customer service can all show employability.

Focus on behaviours that matter to the apprenticeship: punctuality, teamwork, customer communication, accuracy, following procedures, staying calm, using systems, and handling responsibility.

For example:

• Served customers during weekend shifts, balancing tills accurately and helping new staff learn store routines.
• Managed early-morning paper round across 40 households, maintaining reliable attendance in all weather.
• Supported cafe team during busy periods, taking orders, clearing tables, and following hygiene routines.

These examples are simple, but they show trustworthiness and routine. That is exactly what many apprenticeship employers want to see.

Volunteering, school roles, caring responsibilities, sports teams, clubs, and community involvement can strengthen your CV when they show maturity or transferable skills.

Use them carefully. Do not write a long hobbies section that distracts from the apprenticeship. Instead, pick examples that show leadership, organisation, communication, practical skill, or commitment.

Good examples include helping run a club, supporting younger students, coaching a junior team, volunteering in a charity shop, managing equipment for a sports team, or helping organise a school event.

A skills list is useful, but only if it sounds specific. Avoid filling it with words such as motivated, passionate, dynamic, or hard-working unless the rest of the CV proves them.

A stronger skills section might group evidence like this:

• Communication: customer service experience, team project presentations, and clear written coursework.
• Organisation: balancing college deadlines, part-time shifts, and volunteering commitments.
• Digital skills: Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, basic HTML, Canva, or route-specific software.
• Numeracy: GCSE Maths, cash handling, stock counts, measurement tasks, or data work.
• Practical safety: workshop routines, PPE awareness, food hygiene, care procedures, or lab discipline.

The goal is not to list every skill you have. It is to show the employer that your strengths are relevant to the apprenticeship.

Every apprenticeship advert gives clues. It may mention behaviours, qualifications, duties, software, tools, customers, safety, teamwork, study time, or assessment. Use those clues to decide what to include.

Do not copy the advert word for word. Instead, mirror the intent with evidence. If the advert asks for teamwork, show where you worked with others. If it asks for attention to detail, show coursework accuracy, stock checks, till balancing, coding tests, or careful practical tasks.

Before sending the CV, compare it with the advert and ask: can the reader see why I fit this route? If not, adjust the profile, skills, and top examples.

Most apprenticeship CVs work best at one page, especially for school leavers and candidates with limited history. Two pages can be justified for degree apprenticeship applicants, career changers, or candidates with strong projects and experience, but the CV still needs to feel easy to scan.

Use clear headings, consistent dates, short bullet points, and enough spacing. Avoid large blocks of text. Recruiters and providers should be able to find education, English and maths, relevant examples, and contact details quickly.

For a broader structure check, use the UK CV format guide and CV structure guide before you send the final draft.

A school leaver apprenticeship CV should usually lead with education, profile, skills, and school-based evidence. Include GCSEs, predicted grades, relevant subjects, attendance or responsibility if useful, and any practical projects.

Example profile:

School leaver completing GCSEs with strong interest in business administration and customer service. Reliable form representative with experience organising tutor group notices, supporting school events, and using Microsoft Word and Excel for coursework. Looking for an apprenticeship where I can build office skills while learning in a structured workplace.

Useful evidence might include helping at parents' evenings, running a club register, organising sports equipment, completing enterprise coursework, or volunteering locally.

For more support, link the draft with the school leaver CV guide and first job CV guide.

A college applicant can often provide stronger route-specific evidence. Include modules, practical assignments, placements, workshop tasks, portfolio work, or technical projects.

Example profile:

Level 3 Digital learner with experience creating simple websites, editing images for coursework, and completing an industry placement with a local business. Comfortable using HTML, CSS, Canva, and Google Workspace, with strong attendance and a clear interest in digital support apprenticeships.

The strongest CVs in this group show the link between study and apprenticeship duties. Do not just list the course title. Pick assignments that prove useful habits.

Higher and degree apprenticeship candidates usually need a more developed CV. Include academic results, technical projects, work placements, online portfolios, competitions, part-time work, and evidence of independent learning.

Example profile:

A-level student studying Maths, Physics, and Computer Science, predicted BBC, with a portfolio of Python and web projects. Interested in a software engineering degree apprenticeship that combines practical development, mentoring, and structured study. Known for careful debugging, clear documentation, and steady project follow-through.

This type of CV can be one or two pages, but it should still be concise. Prioritise evidence that shows academic readiness and workplace maturity.

An adult applicant should show why the route is a deliberate change, not a random reset. Use your previous work to prove transferable strengths.

Example profile:

Customer service adviser with five years' experience handling enquiries, resolving problems, and using CRM systems accurately. Applying for a digital support apprenticeship to retrain in IT, with recent self-study in hardware basics, Microsoft 365, and troubleshooting. Brings calm communication, reliable attendance, and strong user support habits.

If this applies to you, the career change CV guide and no experience CV guide can help you decide what to keep, reduce, or reposition.

Business administration apprenticeship:

Organised college student studying Level 3 Business, with experience preparing presentations, managing deadlines, and helping customers during weekend retail shifts. Interested in a business administration apprenticeship where I can develop office, communication, and document-handling skills in a structured team.

Engineering apprenticeship:

Practical learner with GCSE Maths 6 and experience completing design technology projects involving measurement, safe tool use, and problem-solving. Looking for an engineering apprenticeship where I can develop technical skills while contributing reliably in a workshop or site environment.

Digital apprenticeship:

Self-taught beginner in HTML, CSS, and Python, with a small portfolio of web pages and school projects. Strong interest in digital support and software development, with evidence of independent learning, troubleshooting, and careful written documentation.

Care apprenticeship:

Responsible school leaver with volunteering experience supporting community events and helping younger pupils during reading sessions. Interested in a care apprenticeship where I can build communication, patience, and practical support skills while learning from experienced staff.

Good apprenticeship CV bullets are short and evidence-led:

• Served customers during weekend retail shifts, using clear communication and accurate till handling during busy periods.
• Completed a college engineering project that required measurement, safe tool use, peer feedback, and final written evaluation.
• Volunteered at a charity shop, sorting stock, labelling donations, and helping customers find items.
• Built a basic website for a coursework project, testing pages on mobile and improving navigation after feedback.
• Coached younger pupils during lunchtime sports sessions, explaining drills clearly and keeping equipment organised.
• Maintained reliable attendance across school, part-time work, and exam revision, balancing competing deadlines.

Each bullet links an activity to a behaviour an employer can value.

Keep education accurate and easy to read:

• GCSEs: English Language 6, Maths 5, Combined Science 6-5, Business 7, Computer Science 6.
• A-levels: Maths, Physics, Computer Science; predicted BBC.
• BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Engineering; predicted DMM.
• T Level in Health; currently completing industry placement in a care environment.
• Functional Skills Level 2 English and Maths; completed 2025.
• National 5s: English B, Maths B, Design and Manufacture A, Computing Science B.

If your grades are not final yet, label them as predicted. If the advert asks for English and maths, place those qualifications where the reader can find them quickly.

Instead of writing a long list of soft skills, connect skills to evidence:

• Organisation: balanced college deadlines with two evening shifts each week.
• Communication: presented coursework findings to class and helped customers in retail role.
• Digital confidence: used Excel for coursework tables and built simple HTML/CSS pages.
• Safe working habits: followed workshop instructions, PPE routines, and tool storage procedures.
• Numeracy: used measurements in design technology project and achieved GCSE Maths grade 6.

This makes the skills section more believable and helps your CV avoid generic wording.

Use authoritative sources when you are checking route details. Requirements can vary by country, provider, level, and employer.

GOV.UK’s apprentice guidance is useful for understanding the basic route in England, including the fact that apprenticeships combine work with training and study. Apprenticeships.gov.uk provides broader application and preparation support. Skills for Careers explains training choices and progression. UCAS is useful for candidates comparing apprenticeships with other post-16 or post-18 routes.

The sources should not replace the advert. Always check the employer page, training provider guidance, and application form. Your CV should support the specific opportunity you are applying for, not only the general apprenticeship route.