How to Build Future-Proof Marketing Teams with Digital Marketing Apprenticeships

One of the fastest growing professional sectors is digital marketing, with 63% of businesses saying they plan to increase their investment in the area.

Throughout this article we will guide you through a comprehensive guide to digital marketing and how to build skilled teams using apprenticeships.

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Why Digital Marketing Matters

Marketing itself has been a mainstay in any business from the beginning of time. 

Even in 35BC there are examples of an aim isn’t Roman “fish sauce” manufacturer using mosaic patterns on walls as a form of early billboard advertisement!

Fast forward to today’s business world and we see a real diverse set of skills required within marketing. One of those being digital marketing.

To put it in simple terms, digital marketing is the use of marketing within digital channels such as social media, search engines, email , and other online platforms.

The area continues to grow at an impressive rate, with the global valuation of digital marketing set to surpass $780billion in 2026.

It’s no surprise when you consider the ways in which current generations consume content, primarily on social media channels. 

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What is a Digital Marketing Apprenticeship?

Starting at the beginning, an apprenticeship is a form of training whereby the apprentice will blend learning with on-the-job work experience. 

Traditionally they will spend one day a week with their training provider and the remainder at work transforming their learning into real-life.

If you need to learn more about the ins and outs of apprenticeships, take a look at the following article:

What is an Apprenticeship Standard?

Apprenticeships Methods of Delivery: Suiting the Needs of your Business

There are currently three levels of Digital Marketing Apprenticeship, see below:

• Level 3 Digital Marketing Apprenticeship - Entry-level for those starting out.
• Level 4 Digital Marketing Apprenticeship - Higher-level learning for advanced skills.
• Degree-level Digital Marketing Apprenticeship (Level 6) - Equivalent to a university degree with advanced strategic marketing training.

The levels denote the level of experience and your training provider will be able to support you in matching the right standard to your business and recruitment needs.

In order to best understand the apprenticeship standard to suit your needs, check out the Training Needs Analysis Template below:

Download our FREE Training Needs Analysis Here.

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Associated Qualifications - CIM

When discussing enrolling apprentices onto the above schemes, it is important to discuss affiliations to the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).

None of the digital marketing apprenticeships require a CIM certificate as part of the standard. You can request that the apprentice works towards this as the standards reflect the skills and knowledge required to get the equivalent level of certification.

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Core Skills You’ll Learn in a Digital Marketing Apprenticeship

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A good digital marketing apprenticeship teaches real-world skills that businesses need, including:

SEO & Content Marketing – How to optimise websites and rank on Google.

Paid Advertising (Google Ads, Meta Ads, PPC) – Running successful paid campaigns.

Social Media Marketing – Growing business presence on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.

Email Marketing & CRM – Understanding customer journeys & automating engagement.

Analytics & Data-Driven Marketing – Using tools like Google Analytics for performance tracking.

E-commerce Marketing – For businesses using online sales platforms

These skills are now vital to business, with statistics to back their importance.

Consumers are 155% more likely to look up your brand-specific terms after being exposed to a display ad and 90% of internet users encountering a Google Ad during their online experience. 

The above list of skills being brought into your business can increase your revenue, your exposure, brand awareness and even shape your customer experience.

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Business Benefits of Hiring a Digital Marketing Apprentice

Often employers look to skilled hires to fix short term gaps in their marketing teams, as is their importance to business success. However, the long-term workforce planning needs serious consideration, here’s why apprenticeships can support that:

• Cost-effective hiring solution – Instead of hiring expensive senior marketers, train apprentices who develop with the business. Particularly where your industry or target audience is niche, you can better shape the apprentice to suit the needs of your business.
  
  
• Get marketing talent aligned to your exact needs - Apprentices learn the tools and strategies your business already uses.
  
  
• Boost innovation & fresh thinking - Apprentices bring the latest training straight into your team. Especially within marketing, where social media trends and virality can be hard to grasp, unless you are part of that community or generation.
  
  
• Funding & financial incentives available - Many digital marketing apprenticeships are fully funded through the Apprenticeship Levy or 95% government-funded for SMEs.
  
  
• Improves staff retention & builds loyalty - Train and retain talent instead of losing employees to competitors. Reports show that 80% of businesses that use apprenticeships, feel it has improved their employee retention figures. 92% feel it has lead to a more motivated workforce.

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Case Study: Apprenticeship Success Story

We caught up with Bobbi Seymour, Marketing Executive for SpicerGroup Ltd. Bobbi started a Level 4 Markering Apprenticeship as a way of progressing their career after 1.5 years as Marketing Assistant.

Bobbi has completed her apprenticeship and has since been promoted to Marketing Executive. 

“Since completing my apprenticeship, I’ve been promoted to Marketing Executive within SpiderGroup. It’s been so rewarding to see my hard work pay off and to take on new responsibilities in this role. I’m excited to apply everything I’ve learned during the apprenticeship to help my company grow and achieve its goals. This promotion feels like the start of an exciting new chapter in my career.”

SpiderGroup Ltd partnered with Pro Apprenticeships for their apprenticeship training needs. They had lots of positive comments on their experience:

“An apprenticeship is such a valuable opportunity to develop new skills, gain real-world experience, and take your career to the next level. Professional Apprenticeships made the entire journey so straightforward and provided amazing support every step of the way. I’d definitely recommend them to anyone considering this path—it’s a great way to learn and grow in a professional environment.”

Bobbi also made a comment of how great the tutor assigned to the marketing programme was. 

“My tutor, Yasin, was incredibly supportive throughout the apprenticeship. He was always understanding, particularly when I faced challenges in the workplace, and adapted his approach to suit my learning style. Yasin was great at explaining things clearly and was always happy to answer any questions I had, creating a comfortable and encouraging learning environment. His guidance made a huge difference to my confidence and ability to succeed in this course.”

A great story from SpiderGroup Ltd showing how important a good relationship with your training provider is. 

How to Choose the Right Digital Marketing Apprenticeship Provider

Not all training providers are the same. So when you are looking to partner up with someone, look around, have meetings, ask lots of questions. This is an investment in your workforce, and partnering with the wrong provider can be a time-consuming mistake.

Below are four main areas you should consider when looking for that provider:

• Accredited & Government-Approved – Must be listed on the Find A Training Provider directory.
• Updated Curriculum – Ask the provider whether they are covering cutting-edge industry trends like TikTok ads, influencer marketing, and AI-driven campaigns. Or methodologies specific to your needs.
• Employer Support & Flexibility – Does the provider offer tailored learning plans, perhaps even block release programmes depending on what suits you.
• Post-Apprenticeship Career Progression – What happens after the apprenticeship? Are there other qualifications the apprentice can move onto?

Find the top-rated digital marketing apprenticeship training providers near you.

How to Hire a Digital Marketing Apprentice - And Get Your Training Funded

For Levy-Paying Businesses

• Use the apprenticeship levy (tax on businesses with £3M+ payroll) to cover all training costs.
• Register with an accredited digital marketing apprenticeship training provider.

For SMEs & Non-Levy Paying Businesses

• Access 95% government funding, meaning the business pays only 5% of the training fee.
• Additional grants & incentives available for hiring young apprentices, reducing recruitment costs.

Next Steps – How to Get Started

Ready to take the next step?

• Employers: Find the best-rated digital marketing apprenticeship training providers near you.
• Individuals: Search for digital marketing apprenticeship jobs and apply today.

Get started with Find A Training Provider.

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