Cisco Apprentice 2026 hiring is open for the Software Engineer Trainee – Technical Graduate Apprentice role in Hyderabad (Job ID 2024514). It is a 12-month apprenticeship starting September 2026, open only to 2025 and 2026 graduates who already hold their degree or provisional certificate. The one requirement most applicants miss: you must already be enrolled as a student on the NATS portal with a valid enrolment number. Apply on the official Cisco careers portal.
Cisco states you must have enrolled as a “student” on the NATS portal and hold a valid student enrolment number. NATS is the Government of India’s National Apprenticeship Training Scheme, run through the Boards of Apprenticeship Training. Without that enrolment number your application cannot proceed, however strong your profile is. Registration is free and takes a day or two to process, so start it before you apply rather than after.
Job Summary
Cisco Apprentice 2026 – full job details
The Cisco Apprentice 2026 opening is a Technical Graduate Apprenticeship on Cisco’s Engineering team in Hyderabad, listed under Job ID 2024514 and posted on 1 September 2026. Cisco frames the work around AI and critical infrastructure: using AI to make data centres more energy-efficient, building security systems that stop threats in real time, and optimising network traffic with machine learning.
As an apprentice you work alongside Cisco’s specialists in AI, networking and cybersecurity. The programme runs for a fixed 12 months starting September 2026, so it is a structured, time-bound entry route rather than an open-ended graduate hire.
Cisco Apprentice 2026 – what you will work on
Cisco lists these areas of exposure for the Cisco Apprentice 2026 trainee role:
- Programming languages and current development methodologies.
- Deploying new software and upgrades to a large SaaS environment.
- Change management procedures and deployment processes.
- Developing one or more tools used within the operations team to automate complex tasks.
Read that list carefully, because it is more operations-flavoured than a typical fresher software role. You are working on deployment, change management and internal tooling for a live SaaS platform — the machinery that keeps software running at scale, rather than building customer-facing features from scratch.
Cisco Apprentice 2026 eligibility & requirements
The Cisco Apprentice 2026 listing states four requirements, and each one is a hard gate:
- Must have graduated in 2025 or 2026 and obtained a final degree completion certificate or Provisional Degree Certificate.
- Must be available for a period of 12 months starting September 2026.
- Must have good communication skills, a passion for technology and the desire to learn, with proactive engagement in a team.
- Must have enrolled as a “student” on the NATS portal and hold a valid student enrolment number issued by NATS.
Notice what is not on that list: no CGPA cut-off, no branch restriction, and no named programming language. Cisco is screening on batch year, documentation and NATS registration rather than on academic filters, which is unusually open for a company of this size.
What NATS is and how to enrol for Cisco Apprentice 2026
NATS stands for the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme, a Government of India programme administered through the Boards of Apprenticeship Training under the Ministry of Education. It places graduate, diploma and vocational students into paid apprenticeships with participating employers, and the stipend is part-funded by the government.
To register, you create a student account on the official NATS portal, verify your email and mobile, and enter your degree details along with your certificate. Once your profile is approved you receive a student enrolment number, and that number is what the Cisco Apprentice 2026 application form expects you to have. Registration is free — if any site or individual asks you to pay to register on NATS, that is a scam.
Because approval is not instant, treat enrolment as step zero. Candidates who discover this requirement only when they reach the Cisco application form usually miss the window.
Cisco Apprentice 2026 selection process & preparation
Cisco has not published a round-by-round breakdown for the Cisco Apprentice 2026 intake. For a Technical Graduate Apprentice intake, expect an application screen, an online or telephonic assessment, one or two technical conversations and a discussion covering communication and teamwork. Focus your preparation here:
- Programming fundamentals in one language. No specific language is named, so pick the one you are strongest in and know it properly — syntax, data structures, and how you would debug it.
- Deployment and release basics. What a build pipeline does, what a rollback is, why change management exists. The role description leads with deployment, so a candidate who can talk about it credibly stands out immediately.
- Automation instinct. Any script you have written to remove a repetitive task, however small, is directly relevant. Cisco explicitly mentions building tools that automate complex work.
- Networking and cloud basics. This is Cisco. Knowing TCP/IP, HTTP, DNS and what a data centre actually contains is worth an evening of revision.
- Communication. Listed as a requirement in its own right. Practise explaining a technical project in plain language for two minutes.
Our interview preparation guides cover the standard fresher rounds in more detail if you want broader revision.
Cisco has added a notice to the Cisco Apprentice 2026 listing about fraudulent recruiters using its name. Genuine Cisco recruiter contact will always come in direct response to an application you submitted on the company jobs site, will begin with a screening or interview, will originate from a Cisco email address, and will happen over email, phone or Webex. Cisco will never make a job offer without an interview process, and will never ask you for payment of any kind. If someone claiming to be from Cisco asks you for money, walk away and report it.
Cisco Apprentice 2026 – documents you should have ready
- Final degree completion certificate or Provisional Degree Certificate — explicitly required.
- Your NATS student enrolment number.
- All marksheets from Class 10 onwards.
- Government photo ID such as Aadhaar or PAN, plus a passport size photograph.
- An updated one-page resume with any projects, internships or automation work.
How to apply for Cisco Apprentice 2026
- Enrol on NATS first and wait for your student enrolment number.
- Open the official Cisco careers listing for Software Engineer Trainee, Job ID 2024514.
- Create your Cisco candidate profile and complete the application.
- Have your degree or provisional certificate ready to reference, since availability of that document is a stated condition.
- Confirm you can commit to the full 12 months from September 2026.
- Submit and track status through the Cisco careers portal only.
If Hyderabad or the NATS requirement does not fit, our list of companies hiring freshers in India is updated weekly with openings that have no such gate.
About Cisco
The employer behind the Cisco Apprentice 2026 programme, Cisco Systems, is one of the world’s largest networking and cybersecurity companies, building the routing, switching, collaboration and security products that a large share of the internet and of enterprise networks run on. Its India engineering presence spans Bangalore, Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad.
For a first role, the value of an apprenticeship at this scale is the systems you get to see. Deployment pipelines, change control and operational tooling for a live SaaS platform are things you cannot practise meaningfully at home, and they transfer to any infrastructure or platform engineering career afterwards.
Cisco Apprentice 2026 — FAQs
Which batches are eligible for the Cisco Apprentice 2026 role?
Only 2025 and 2026 graduates. You must also already hold your final degree completion certificate or a Provisional Degree Certificate at the time of applying.
Is NATS registration really compulsory?
Yes. Cisco states you must have enrolled as a student on the NATS portal and hold a valid student enrolment number issued by NATS. This is a hard requirement, not a preference, so complete it before you apply. Registration is free.
How long is the Cisco apprenticeship and when does it start?
Twelve months, starting September 2026. You must be available for the full period, so it does not suit anyone with pending exams or another commitment during that window.
Is there a CGPA or branch restriction?
The listing does not state a CGPA cut-off or restrict the role to particular branches. The stated filters are graduation year, possession of your degree or provisional certificate, NATS enrolment and availability for the full 12 months.
What is the stipend for the Cisco Apprentice 2026 role?
Cisco has not disclosed a stipend on this listing. Under NATS, apprentice stipends are part-funded by the Government of India, and the exact amount is confirmed by the employer. Ask the recruiter during your first conversation.
Ready to apply?
Read the eligibility above, keep your resume ready, and apply on the official portal only. No fees — ever.
Apply on official portal →