Ideal Skill Sets

We look for and assess potential, you don’t need to be an expert on day one.
We also understand that your potential isn’t always linked to the final grade you receive at the end of your course.
We’re looking for engineers with drive, who have the ability to learn, adapt and approach problems from different angles.

We look for people that are really interested in the way things work, and great problem solvers. We identify them in the first instance through asking questions on your application form about your passions and interests. It's not about your grade but what sort of things do you do in your spare time, or what role do you take on in projects? Our apprentices tend to have quite 'hands on' hobbies - so they might build models, or photography, or do the light rigging on school plays, or could be in coding clubs - anything that shows that you are interested in developing/ building/ creating.

Our choices are largely influenced by the aptitude and attitude of the individual, their chosen discipline as a fit to our requirements, a desire to work and learn in our environment and the team fit.

In the Marine Industry most employers will look for some basic hand skills, which in time can be developed on the job and with training providers / colleges. Problem Solving skills are probably high on most engineering employers lists as well.

I asked my team this (they manage the apprentices) - their responses included:
• Willing to work hard
• Keen to work “on the tools”
• Motivated to be the best they can be in the training and workplace environment
• Ability to think for themselves
• Have a positive attitude to learning
• Demonstrate Cadents core values - these are commitment, courage, community and curiosity

Here at the Volkswagen Group Apprenticeship Programme, outside of our GCSE C-Grade in English, Maths & Science criteria - we love to see passion, enthusiasm & initiative, and we can hear it from day one as soon as we speak to them over the phone for our pre-vet interview.

Some of our best candidates got to where they are purely because they enjoy what they do and enjoy learning as much as possible, and this potential is immediately seen & carries across the interviews.

We love nothing more than to hear this, it puts a smile on our face & we can still hear it break through all the nerves.