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About the founder

Hi, I'm
Yusuf.

I built Apprentice Wizard because I lived the problem. I was the student with twenty browser tabs, a chaotic spreadsheet, and no single place to find — let alone track — every degree apprenticeship I was applying to.

So I built the tool I wished had existed.

Yusuf Ismail — Founder of Apprentice Wizard
Founder · Apprentice Wizard

100+

Students helped

10,000+

Live roles aggregated

134k

Mod downloads

2026

Founded

The story

From Minecraft mods to 100+ students

Age 15

First shipped software

Built Minecraft mods that reached 134,000 downloads. Learned that real users break everything — and come back if you fix it.

2023

The problem hit

A levels: Maths, CS, Economics, Psychology. Tracking 20+ degree apprenticeship applications across spreadsheets, email, and a dozen employer portals. The admin was eating the preparation.

Jan 2024

Built the thing

Started Apprentice Wizard. Not from a pitch deck — from frustration. Led everything: Spring Boot backend, Docker infra, Linux server, CI/CD, and the product itself.

2024–2025

Degree Apprenticeship secured

Infrastructure Engineer Degree Apprentice — rotating across networking, compute, and platform engineering, while studying for a BSc in Digital & Technology Solutions at the University of Exeter.

Today

Apprentice Wizard keeps growing

100+ students use the platform. Roles from GOV.UK, UCAS, Higherin, and curated repos — all in one place. Free, always.

The mission

“Not every student has a careers advisor who knows what a degree apprenticeship is. Apprentice Wizard exists to close that gap — free, practical, and honest.”

Free for students, forever. No friction between a student and an opportunity.

Only build AI features where they measurably improve outcomes.

The platform exists to close the information gap — not to monetise students.

Right now

What I'm focused on

Infrastructure engineering

Rotating across networking, compute, and platform engineering on a degree apprenticeship while studying for a BSc in Digital & Technology Solutions at Exeter.

Apprentice Wizard coaching

Running the Premium coaching programme — weekly 1-1 sessions on Discord helping students land their first apprenticeship or internship.

Building the product

Shipping AI tools (Interview Coach, CV Scanner, Readiness Score), improving the opportunities feed, and keeping everything free for students.

Ready to find your role?

Free tools, live roles, and support when you need it.