The short answer
An apprenticeship employer isn’t expecting you to know the trade yet. They’re looking for evidence that you’re interested in it, that you can learn, that you’re careful and that you’ll stick at it. Lead with your grades if the advert sets requirements, then show practical things you’ve made, fixed or figured out. Name the apprenticeship you want, and never claim skills you haven’t been trained in.
Meet Callum
Callum Reid is fictional, but his CV is the kind many Year 11 students could write. He’s 16, finishing his GCSEs in Swindon, and applying for an Installation and Maintenance Electrician Level 3 apprenticeship with a local electrical contractor, starting in September.
He’s never had a job. He did a week of work experience with his council’s buildings maintenance team, built a working LED lamp for his Design and Technology GCSE, and has spent the last two years fixing up second-hand bikes for himself and his friends. He’s in his school’s STEM club.
What the role may involve
The National Careers Service electrician profile describes testing electrical systems to make sure they’re safe, installing cabling in homes and businesses, building control panels and sometimes responding to call outs. It mentions working on building sites or in people’s homes, sometimes at height or in cramped spaces. The skills it lists include problem-solving, being thorough, paying attention to detail, maths for reading technical plans, working well with your hands and using equipment safely.
As an apprentice, you’re employed and trained at the same time. GOV.UK says that to start an apprenticeship in England you need to be 16 or over, living in England and not in full-time education. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own services.
The skills that matter, and why
- Interest in the field. Employers invest years of training in an apprentice. Real curiosity is a sign you’ll stay the course.
- Willingness to learn. You’ll be told how to do things, often in a specific order for safety reasons. Showing you’ve learned new things before, and enjoyed it, is strong evidence.
- Problem-solving. Working out why something doesn’t work is a big part of electrical work.
- Care and attention to detail. In a safety-critical trade, careful matters more than fast.
- Maths and English. Many apprenticeships set minimum grades. The National Careers Service says advanced electrical apprenticeships usually ask for 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English and maths, or equivalent. Always check the specific advert.
- Commitment. Turning up, sticking with something long term, finishing what you started.
The full CV
Callum Reid
Applying for: Installation and Maintenance Electrician apprenticeship (Level 3) · Swindon
07700 900731 | callum.reid@example.com | Swindon
Profile 1
Year 11 student looking to start an Installation and Maintenance Electrician apprenticeship in September 2026. I’ve been taking things apart and fixing them for years, and building a working LED lamp for my DT GCSE confirmed that electrical work is what I want to learn properly. I’m careful, I like getting things exactly right, and I’m happy to start from the basics.
Education 2
Lydiard Vale School, Swindon2021 to 2026
- GCSEs (exams in summer 2026), predicted grades: Maths 6, English Language 5, Combined Science 6 6, Design and Technology 7, Geography 5, History 4 3
Practical projects 4
DT GCSE project: LED bedside lamp2025 to 2026
- Designed and built a battery-powered LED lamp with a switch and dimmer, from a wooden base I cut and finished myself.
- Soldered the circuit, tested it with a multimeter at school and fixed a dry joint that stopped the dimmer working. 5
Bike repairs2024 to present
- Fix up second-hand bikes for myself and friends: brakes, gears, punctures and replacing chains, using online guides and trial and error.
- Have rebuilt four bikes from parts so far.
Work experience
Buildings maintenance team, Swindon council (one week)June 2025 6
- Shadowed maintenance staff on routine checks in schools and offices, including fire door and lighting checks.
- Learned why everything is logged and signed off, and helped fill in the record sheets.
Skills 7
- Following safety instructions: used workshop tools and soldering equipment under supervision in DT, following the school’s workshop rules.
- Problem-solving: work out bike faults step by step, checking one thing at a time.
- Commitment: member of the school STEM club for three years, every Tuesday after school.
Interests
- STEM club: this year we’re building a small solar-powered phone charger as a group.
- Cycling, mostly long rides at weekends with my dad.
What each part is doing
Profile names the apprenticeship. Using the exact title from the advert shows he’s applying for this one, not sending the same CV everywhere. “Happy to start from the basics” is honest and exactly what an employer training an apprentice wants to hear.
Back to the CVEducation goes first. He has no work history, and the advert sets grade requirements, so his grades are the first thing the employer needs to check. Put your sections in whatever order helps the reader most.
Back to the CVPredicted grades, clearly labelled. Saying “predicted” and when the exams are is honest. If your predictions are lower than the advert asks for, still apply if you’re close, and see the note further down.
Back to the CVProjects instead of jobs. A “Practical projects” section is a perfectly good substitute for work history when you’re applying for a hands-on role.
Back to the CVA problem he actually solved. Finding a dry joint with a multimeter is small, specific and real. It shows curiosity, persistence and safe practice, without pretending he’s an electrician.
Back to the CVWork experience, described honestly. “Shadowed” is the right word for a placement week. What he learned about logging and sign-off is genuinely relevant to a trade that runs on testing and certification.
Back to the CVSkills tied to evidence. Every skill has something behind it. Notice there’s no “electrical installation” skill. He hasn’t been trained in it yet, and that’s what the apprenticeship is for.
Back to the CV
A word on safety
Low-voltage projects at school or with a kit, under supervision, are exactly the right kind of evidence. Don’t list wiring or electrical jobs you’ve done around the house. An employer in a safety-critical trade wants to see that you respect the rules, not that you’ve worked around them.
The personal statement
Before
I am a hard-working student who has always wanted to be an electrician. I am good with my hands and I learn quickly.
After
Year 11 student looking to start an Installation and Maintenance Electrician apprenticeship in September 2026. Building a working LED lamp for my DT GCSE confirmed that electrical work is what I want to learn properly. I’m careful, I like getting things exactly right, and I’m happy to start from the basics.
Why it works “Always wanted to” and “good with my hands” are hard to check. A specific project shows where the interest comes from, and “careful” matters more than “quick” in this trade.
Weaker and stronger lines
Before
Good with electronics.
After
Soldered the circuit for my DT lamp, tested it with a multimeter and fixed a dry joint that stopped the dimmer working.
Why it works “Good with electronics” invites the question “how good?”. The stronger line answers it with something he can talk about for five minutes in an interview.
Before
Did work experience at the council.
After
Shadowed maintenance staff on routine checks in schools and offices, and helped fill in the record sheets.
Why it works It says what the week involved, in honest words. “Shadowed” doesn’t overstate what a placement student does.
Before
I like fixing things.
After
Fix up second-hand bikes for myself and friends: brakes, gears, punctures and chains. Have rebuilt four from parts so far.
Why it works Turning a hobby into evidence of problem-solving and persistence. The number is one he knows.
If you haven’t got projects like Callum’s
Not everyone has a DT project or a hobby that maps neatly onto the trade. Look for:
- Anything you’ve built, mended or set up: furniture from a flat pack, a gaming PC, a garden bed, a costume, a model.
- Anything you’ve learned on your own: a skill from videos, a course, a club.
- Anything you’ve stuck at: a sport, an instrument, a part-time commitment, caring for someone.
Then, in your profile, say why you want this apprenticeship in your own words. If you’re not sure yet which apprenticeship suits you, our lesson on jobs, apprenticeships or college helps you compare.
Tailoring it to the advert
Apprenticeship adverts usually include an employer description, a training provider, the qualification you’ll work towards and entry requirements. On GOV.UK’s Find an apprenticeship service, each listing shows these.
- Copy the exact apprenticeship title into your profile.
- Check the grade requirements and make sure your grades are easy to find.
- Look at what the employer does. A contractor that mostly does homes may value customer care; one that works on big sites may care more about safety and teamwork. Choose the project and skills that fit.
- Many apprenticeships ask you to apply through an online form rather than a CV. Your CV is still useful: it’s where you’ll copy your best answers from.
If your grades are below the requirement
Some employers and training providers accept equivalent qualifications or let you work towards English and maths during the apprenticeship. It varies, so ask them directly before ruling yourself out. Apprentices are paid at least the apprentice rate of the National Minimum Wage; check the current rate on GOV.UK, as it changes every April.
Try
Turn one project into evidence
Pick one thing you’ve made, fixed or figured out. You’re going to write it as a CV entry for the apprenticeship you want.
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Getting ready for the interview
Apprenticeship interviews often ask why you want this apprenticeship, what you know about the employer and how you’d cope with the mix of work and study. Practise in the Practice Room (choose Apprenticeship), and read common interview questions.
Ready to turn what you’ve learned into your own CV?
CVBUFFED has an apprenticeship setup that adds a qualifications section, asks for things you actually have, like a grade or a project, and folds onto one page when that’s all you need. £12.50 once, no subscription, and your CV stays in your browser.
Build my CVSources and further reading
- Become an apprentice GOV.UK
- Find an apprenticeship GOV.UK
- Electrician job profile National Careers Service
- National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates GOV.UK
Checked against these sources on 14 November 2026. Rules and rates change: if something here looks out of date, tell us at hello@cvbuffed.com. How we check our guidance.