Over 9 in 10 workers who have completed an apprenticeship with an AI module (94%) have applied the skills they have learnt to their job within six months, according to a new study.

Over nine in ten had been able apply some of the skills learnt during their apprenticeship to their job within six months, with 41% saying they had been able to apply all the skills learnt, according to a survey of former apprentices by training provider Cambridge Marketing College.

The Cambridge Marketing College also surveyed learners who had taken their AI Marketing training as a standalone course, asking how they had applied their new AI skills.

Three quarters of the learners on the course said their new AI knowledge had helped them make data-driven decisions, half reported that their overall marketing has improved with the use of AI, and half had seen their productivity increase.

The increase in productivity tallies with previous research from PubMed which found AI tools reduced the time spent on professional writing tasks by 40%, while assessed quality increased 18%.

However, Cambridge Marketing College issued a caution to marketing teams considering employing AI tools or agencies without holding expertise in-house.

Neil Wilkins, AI tutor and Fellow at Cambridge Marketing College, said: “There have been several very public cases in recent months of advertisers or their agencies running ads through AI tools which have been ruled as discriminatory or offensive by the Advertising Standards Agency. Not only did these brands take a massive reputational hit, they also faced censure by the ASA as even when using an agency the advertiser remains responsible for the content despite the automated process.

“Marketing teams need to make sure they have the necessary oversight and AI expertise within their in-house team if they are to avoid such costly mistakes. Someone needs to know which tasks to automate, what good output looks like and when to challenge it.

“I find it really concerning how many businesses are deploying AI tools without the necessary expertise to operate them properly. The Office for National Statistics reports that AI use among UK businesses with over 10 employees rose from around 12% in late 2023 to 35% in June 2026, yet only 11% reported that more than half their workforce had received AI training.

“Businesses need to train the manager setting objectives and the practitioners doing the work: product marketing, content, digital PR, CRM and analytics. Give apprentices practical experience alongside someone authorised to approve decisions.”

 

Cambridge Marketing College surveyed apprentices and learners who had completed AI training with the college within the past year between December 2025 and September 2026.