Apprenticeship Interview Tips

Apprenticeship interviews sit somewhere between a job interview and a school admissions meeting. The employer is committing to train you for one to four years, sometimes at considerable cost, so they care less about what you already know and more about whether you will stick with it, follow instructions safely and get on with people. Understanding that changes how you prepare.

This guide covers what the process typically involves at the Humber’s larger apprenticeship employers, the questions you can expect, and what to bring. For the application stage that comes before it, see our cover letter guidance for apprenticeships.

What the process usually looks like

The exact format varies by employer and by year, so treat what follows as a general picture rather than a promise. Broadly, larger Humber employers run a multi-stage process, while smaller firms often move straight from application to a single interview.

• Siemens Gamesa and Hull College recruit up to around 30 wind turbine apprentices a year for the Hull blade factory, jointly. Intakes of that size are typically handled through an online application, some form of aptitude or numeracy screening, and then an assessment day combining a group activity, a short practical exercise and an individual interview. See our guide to becoming a wind turbine technician.
• Phillips 66 Humber Refinery runs a four-year craft apprenticeship, taking on up to around a dozen apprentices a year. With numbers that small, expect a competitive process with aptitude testing and a formal interview where safety attitude matters a great deal. Our process and chemical apprenticeships guide has more.
• ABP and other port employers recruit onto the Port Operative Level 2 apprenticeship and similar routes. The National Careers Service notes that port operative roles require a medical check, so expect that alongside an interview focused on safety, teamwork and reliability. See our ports and logistics apprenticeships guide.
• NHS trusts, including Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust’s apprenticeship pipeline, tend to use values-based interviews: questions about compassion, dignity and how you would respond to a distressed patient, rather than technical ability. See our NHS apprenticeships guide.
• HETA, which trains around 600 Level 3 engineering apprentices a year for 400-plus partner companies, usually assesses candidates itself before matching them with an employer, so you may be interviewed twice: once by the provider and once by the company. See our HETA engineering apprenticeships guide.

If you are invited to an assessment day, the invitation will normally tell you the components. Read it twice. If it mentions a practical task, ask what kind.

Questions to expect

Apprenticeship interviewers ask simpler, more personal questions than interviewers for experienced hires, and the honest answer is almost always the right one.

• Why do you want to do an apprenticeship rather than college or university? Have a real reason. “I learn better by doing” is fine if it is true and you can give an example.
• Why this company and this trade? Show that you know what the job involves day to day, not just that the employer is well known.
• Tell me about something you have made, fixed or built. This can be anything from a bike repair to a school project. Describe what went wrong and what you did about it.
• Tell me about a time you worked as part of a team. Sports, part-time work, volunteering and group coursework all count.
• What would you do if you saw someone doing something unsafe? There is one right answer: stop, speak up, tell a supervisor. Say it plainly.
• How do you cope when you find something difficult? They want persistence, not perfection. A GCSE you had to resit and passed is a good example.
• How would you get to site for a 7am start? Practical, and taken seriously. Have a plan, including for the college days.

Our guide to answering common interview questions covers the general questions in more depth.

Group exercises and practical tasks

Group activities at assessment days are not about winning. Assessors watch for whether you listen, contribute without dominating, and help the group finish. If someone quieter has not spoken, asking what they think is one of the most noticed things you can do. Practical tasks are usually basic: following a diagram, assembling something simple, a short numeracy or measurement exercise. Take your time, read the instructions fully, and if you are stuck, say so and ask rather than guessing.

What to bring

• Your invitation and any ID or documents it asks for (often proof of qualifications and right to work).
• Copies of your CV and certificates, even if you have already submitted them.
• A pen and a small notebook.
• Two or three questions to ask, written down.
• Glasses if you need them for close work, and a packed lunch or money if the day is a long one.

Arrive fifteen minutes early. Sites such as refineries and ports have security gates and sign-in procedures, and being late because you did not know that is an avoidable first impression.

A note on pay and expectations

Apprentices have a legal minimum hourly rate, which from April 2026 is £8 for those under 19 or in the first year of an apprenticeship, after which those aged 19 and over move to the age-based rate. Many larger employers pay above the minimum, but it is sensible to check before you accept rather than assume. It is fine to ask about pay at the end of an interview once you have been told about the role, and entirely reasonable to ask how it rises through the apprenticeship.

Whatever the outcome, an assessment day is useful practice. The employers above recruit every year, and many of the people now working on Humber wind turbines, refineries and wards did not get in at the first attempt. Our apprenticeships hub lists the main routes across the region, and GOV.UK’s Find an apprenticeship service is where most vacancies are posted.