Engineering degree apprenticeship Help

Hi,

I want to apply to a engineering degree apprenticeship, but a realise that it's extremely competitive, I was looking at things employers look at when selecting apprentices, they mainly look for engineering related skills.

I've looked at most engineering degree apprenticeships entry requirements and they're around DDM-DDD. I'm not too worried about my grades as, I will get good grades, but I understand good grades alone is not enough to land a degree apprenticeship.

My plan is to take a gap year where I develop skills like CAD and programming to a level where I feel I'm confident to solve problems that employers might throw at me.

My question is , would a certificate for SOLIDWORKS (CAD) and a certificate in C++ (programming) be enough to slim down the competition or would I need more experience and skills?

All your replies are much appreciated, thanks in advance.