How the new multi-channel marketer apprenticeship is equipping marketers of the future

The new multi-channel marketer standard takes a refreshed approach to marketing apprenticeships, enabling individuals to gain the skills and knowledge for their future career. But what’s different about the new standard and what does it mean for employers looking to develop a workforce with future-ready skills?

The new multi-channel marketer apprenticeship offers a fresh approach to marketing apprenticeship programmes at level 3. The apprenticeship has been designed to equip aspiring marketers with the experience and knowledge to support customer-centric marketing activities across a wide range of channels. The apprenticeship will provide those undertaking it with the tools they need to work as part of a wider marketing team and with in-house teams and agencies alike.

How was the standard developed?

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) works closely with employers and providers as part of both trailblazer groups and employer panels, to support the development of apprenticeship standards for marketing that accurately reflect the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to drive the development of the marketing profession both now and in the future.

This new standard replaces both the marketing assistant and digital marketing apprenticeship which lacked the versatility demanded of marketers today. The development of technology over the past decade has ushered in a paradigm shift in how businesses interact with and reach their target audiences. Apprenticeship standards have had to recognise the changing nature of marketing and the new requirements this places on individuals

Apprenticeships are a critical route for people to enter the marketing profession, reducing barriers to entry for aspiring marketers, making the profession more accessible and allowing businesses to nurture talent from within their organisations and leverage the benefits of diverse skill sets. The multi-channel marketer apprenticeship will further help to professionalise the marketing industry, enabling businesses to develop talent and plug skills gaps within organisations as technology continues to redefine the requirements of successful marketing.

What does the new multi-channel marketer standard mean for individuals?

The multi-channel marketer standard has been developed to provide individuals with the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills and capabilities that will help them navigate the diverse and rapidly changing marketing landscape. There is an increased emphasis on developing skills and expertise across a range of digital and traditional channels. There is a stronger focus on functional, tactical skills including communications and copywriting, research and customer insights, technology and software proficiency, budget management and stakeholder engagement which will see apprentices interacting with clients and customers across the marketing sector and requiring them to provide deliverables and advice. 

What does this mean for the sector?

The Digital Marketing Skills Benchmark, published in 2023 by the training body Target Internet, in association with CIM, revealed that the core digital skills marketers rely on have improved but that the growing demands of new and evolving technologies are contributing to a skills gap across the majority of industries.

The rapid pace of change in the marketing sector means it can be difficult for marketers to remain up to date and relevant, which impacts a team’s ability to meet business objectives, thus impacting the bottom line. Sustained investment in training is needed to ensure that teams have the requisite skills they need to compete in the crowded marketing space.

Using the apprenticeship levy can make upskilling staff an attractive proposition for employers as well as an effective way to plug skills gaps, all whilst safe in the knowledge that this new apprenticeship standard has been developed in collaboration with experts to reflect industry best practice. By nurturing talent from within their organisations and offering the opportunity for staff to upskill through apprenticeship programs, employers can also see boosts to staff satisfaction and retention rates.

By Maggie Jones, Director of Qualifications and Partnerships at the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).

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