Find out more about our AI Marketing Executive apprenticeship and AI Marketing Manager apprenticeship. 

Summary

In this podcast episode, Daniel Fox interviews Kiran Kapur (CEO), Neil Wilkins (Tutor) and Charlotte Lestienne from Cambridge Marketing College, to discuss the launch of three new AI-focused marketing apprenticeships. The college has created AI variants of their existing marketing apprenticeships: AI Multi-channel Marketer, AI Marketing Executive, and AI Marketing Manager.

 

Key points

  • Cambridge Marketing College launched three AI-focused apprenticeships in response to employer demand for training staff in both AI and marketing simultaneously [0:39]
  • The apprenticeships with AI versions include Multi-channel Marketer, Marketing Executive, and Marketing Manager apprenticeships. There is additional AI content, but maintain the same core syllabus and assessment standards [2:25] [12:20]
  • Additional learning comprises 30 hours for Multi-channel Marketer and Marketing Executive levels, and 50 hours for Marketing Manager apprenticeship [5:21]
  • The AI training focuses on universal skills, including prompting techniques, ethics, and data security, that will remain relevant as AI technology evolves [5:42]
  • Apprentices begin with an AI short course and must identify or help develop their company's AI policy as early practical learning [9:44] [11:01]
  • The programme emphasises practical implementation and collaborative community learning, with apprentices sharing best practices and case studies [6:43] [8:54]
  • All employers consulted in December chose the AI version because it offers additional benefits at no extra cost, whilst improving competitiveness and ROI [2:57]
  • The apprenticeships are suitable for learners aged 17 to 60, providing career advancement opportunities in an increasingly competitive marketing landscape [17:06]

 

Transcript

Transcripts are auto-generated.

 

Daniel Fox (00:01):
Hello and welcome to a slightly different version of the Cambridge Marketing Podcast. It's a different podcast this time because Cambridge Marketing College has launched three AI-focused versions of our apprenticeships, and on to talk about them, and what they are, and how they can benefit your business. Our CEO, Kiran Kapur, Neil, who is our AI lead and tutor, and Charlotte, who is the account manager looking after these. Welcome to you all.

All speakers (00:29):
Hello.

Daniel Fox (00:30):
Charlotte Lestienne, first then, let's just talk about why Cambridge Marketing College decided to launch these three new apprenticeships.

Charlotte Lestienne (00:39):
So I discussed with a lot of employers recently, and I think we came to an agreement that there were the gap in the market. So they wanted to train the apprentices, and new employees and current employees with AI and marketing, and it was not really possible. So I think we jumped on it and we decided to meet the requirement of the market and to create some AI variant on our apprenticeship. So it's a way for the companies to be able to, yes, to do both at the same time.

Daniel Fox (01:15):
And Kiran, you're obviously the CEO of the marketing college. This obviously made complete sense really, didn't it?

Kiran Kapur (01:22):
Yes. I mean, what we found employers were asking for was one, there's a lot of interest around automation and just improving productivity within an organisation, and can AI help us do that. But there's also a lot of fear around how do you do it? How do you train people to do it? And also how secure is my data? And Neil and I do a lot of going around talking to employers together and doing presentations. And in fact, we've done a podcast together on this subject. So we found that employers have got these two concerns, productivity and security, and also general training. But they also wanted their staff to learn about the apprenticeship, as Charlotte says, to learn about marketing. So we combined it basically, and Neil helped us come up with a syllabus that covers what employers want their employees to learn. And Neil, I know you're going to talk about that in a second.

(02:12):
But it also allowed us to say, here is the apprenticeship. This is the apprenticeship standard, Multi-channel Marketer, Marketing Exec, and a Marketing Manager. But we're going to put some AI focus onto that.

Charlotte Lestienne (02:25):
So all our marketing apprenticeships will have an AI version. So you can either choose to do the Multi-channel Marketer or the AI Multi-channel Marketer. You can do the Marketing Executive or the AI Marketing Executive apprenticeship, and the Marketing Manager or the AI Marketing Manager apprenticeship. And this is why we are so excited about it, because you have the choice.

Daniel Fox (02:48):
As a business and as perhaps as an apprentice, how do you decide whether to do an AI-skewed apprenticeship?

Charlotte Lestienne (02:57):
I started to discuss these options with some employers in December, and they all went for the AI version because it has no extra cost, but a benefit to be able to train your employees on AI. So not to be more competitive, to improve your ROI, everything that companies need now.

Daniel Fox (03:18):
Let's bring Neil into the conversation. Neil, I know you've been a proponent, and an early adopter and a supporter of AI. When you talk to employers now, compared with how you talked to employers maybe two, three, four, five years ago, how has it changed?

Neil Wilkins (03:36):
I think that's a great question, Daniel, because it really has changed. And I think what organisations, and I guess the apprentices or potential apprentices themselves, are looking for are these kind of points of differentiation. We've been teaching marketing for decades. We kind of know the base principles. We can enable marketers to be very, very effective and real sort of true professionals. But this is almost like supercharging that because the capabilities that we are layering on top of the standard kind of courses that you would get if you're studying marketing at every level, are now being, I guess, really enabled with this extra layer that gives you an opportunity to make a really significant impact, both within the organisation. So there's a win-win for employer and employee, but also really from a competitive angle, sort of building on Charlotte's point about the whole idea of this being a really, really strong thing for ROI in your business.

(04:36):
You can really see an impact literally from day one. And for me, that's why I'm super excited by this because I think it's something that we have almost been waiting for over many decades in marketing is that real kind of ability to show real commercial value from the work that we do. So yeah, I'm really excited by this.

Daniel Fox (04:56):
Kiran and Neil talked about it being a win-win. First of all, let's talk about the benefits for employers, for businesses, for companies of these new apprenticeships.

Kiran Kapur (05:06):
Well, as Charlotte said, we do emphasise you have a choice. You can do the standard three marketing apprenticeships, or you can choose to have the AI-focused version. If you're going down the AI-focused version, what we've done is we've put together additional learning. So it's 30 hours for Multi-channel Marketer and Marketing Exec, and 50 hours for Marketing Manager apprenticeship because it's a longer apprenticeship. And we've covered off what we think is really important for the apprentices to learn. And Neil is the real expert here, but the benefit for the employers is that AI changes all the time. So what we're doing is we're giving skills that will be universal and will be useful now and in two, three years time as AI changes. You're still going to need to know how to do prompting. It will change how you do prompting, but you're still going to need to do it.

(05:57):
You still need to understand the ethics. You still need to understand data security. These are things that are just going to continue. Neil, what have I missed?

Neil Wilkins (06:07):
Well, I think those are really the key, almost pillars if you like, that kind of keep this as a really professional discipline. I mean, there's a lot of hype out there. You can just look at any type of media, and you'll see all these wonderful promises of a brave new future. But what we're doing is we're keeping this very grounded in reality, commercial reality, and also practicality. And I think that's really important because it's very easy to get swept along by the latest shiny thing. We're going to be exploring some of those latest shiny things because some of those will be the winners, but it is about being, I think, really pragmatic in creating these materials. And also, I would suggest probably the word is co-creating these materials, because one of the big differences between the AI versions and a traditional version of a marketing course here is going to be the fact that we are going to be very collaborative.

(06:58):
So as an apprentice or an organisation start to do amazing things, we're going to be profiling them. So we're going to be sort of working with them to come up with, well, this is best practise or this is something you might introduce. So there's going to be a real kind of sharing sort of community style in terms of the course, which I think really for apprentices is going to be so powerful because that is something I think a lot of apprentices are looking for.

Kiran Kapur (07:23):
And if I can slightly showcase a podcast that's coming up next week, the difference between people that have worked with AI for a while like Neil, and my podcast guest who works for a marketing agency that has used AI for two years, and those that are still very scared by it, is very much how you approach AI. Whether you see it as this slightly scary thing or this great Nirvana, or whether in a more pragmatic way, you just see it as another tool. And that's really what we are going to train our apprentices to do, to see it as a tool, to know how to evaluate new AI tools as they come in.

Charlotte Lestienne (07:58):
That's why I'm so excited about it. It's because all the AI, which is included weekly or monthly, depending on the subject, will just help the apprentices to do a better marketing, in fact. So it will help with the content creation at a level four, for example, but at the level six, it will help when they do the budget. So we will help them to do a better content with AI.

Neil Wilkins (08:22):
And I think for me as well, there's a little additional piece building on that is this idea of practical implementation. I think one of the things with a traditional typical apprenticeship is that you learn a lot of skills, you get a little bit of a chance to put them into practise. But what we're going to do is then take that to the next level and probably the level after that, which is actually helping the apprentice, but also the organisation, should they need it, to be hand-held through processes to actually bring this to life within their organisation. That is very much part of this kind of community approach. So creating the AI marketing playbook together, really.

Daniel Fox (09:01):
So let's talk about the nuts and bolts then, the actual content. Imagine I am taking up a marketing apprenticeship with AI, and regular listeners to the marketing podcast will know that I am not too old. In fact, I think I'm probably middle-aged for one of our apprentices. What am I going to learn? Let's talk about the actual things. What's actually on the syllabus? What's in, let's say the first few weeks.

Kiran Kapur (09:27):
So let's start with the fact that, as we've stressed before, this is the standard apprenticeship with AI added in. So there's an AI focus. So you will still do the same knowledge, skills and behaviours that you do on the Multi-channel Marketer, the Marketing Exec and the Marketing Manager. However, there are additional things. So the first thing you will do in your first month or two months is attend our AI short course. And Neil, I know that changes every single time you run it. So I'm always terrified about talking about it.

Neil Wilkins (09:58):
Yeah, it is just that the beauty and the beast of the whole thing is the fact that it's always fresh because obviously new ideas and new thinking has come through, new, let's call it best practise. But there is, as you say, these kind of fundamental foundations to it. So we've got structure, but within that structure, we bring new tools in, we bring new ways of prompting in. We bring all these kind of fresh new ways of thinking about AI in every month, but that is very much our kind of intro level. Everybody then comes in to build the confidence because I think one of the big things with AI right now is a lot of people are excited and yet fearful in equal measure. So what we try and do is then level the playing field and say, "Okay, it's fine to have a little kind of worry about this, but let's kind of bring everybody up to the same kind of level and then we can then kick on from there based on what our organisation or our marketing plan is actually requiring of us." So then it becomes quite personal, and you can really take this on and begin to use it in a way that's very personal for your own role.

Kiran Kapur (11:01):
And then one of the early things you will also do is go off and find about what your company's AI policy is. Now, we know that a lot of companies don't have an AI policy, so our apprentices could help them put one together. But if your company has rules on how you use AI and what you have to do, clearly the apprentices need to know this. So this is the sort of where we feel that it's both really, really practical because if your company hasn't got it, the apprentice can help you put it together. What a brilliant piece of learning for the apprentice. How useful for the employer as well.

Neil Wilkins (11:33):
Yeah. And I think it's a really great kind of thing that these are sort of building blocks in many ways that we're starting here obviously today and saying, "Hey, it's live and we've got this amazing community platform that we're working with. " And literally as people start to sort of work with it, they start to read and absorb some of the information. They'll be putting stuff in themselves. So they'll have a view on something or maybe ask a question, and that will then stimulate a discussion, a workshop, a drop-in. So we've got all these points of kind of interaction, and you can use it as much or as little as you like, but I have a feeling, certainly based on some of the early feedback that people are going to be almost immersed in this. I think it's going to be quite irresistible, I think is probably the best word to describe it.

Charlotte Lestienne (12:20):
Just to come back on Neil and Kiran's point of the content, what is very important to understand on this apprenticeship AI-focus, they have exactly the same syllabus as the marketing apprenticeship. So when they will go through to EPA, so the End Point Assessment, when they will be assessed, it will be on the same assessment as the standard version. So it's very much the traditional version with an AI focus on it, but it's still a marketing apprenticeship.

Daniel Fox (12:54):
Now I promise you, I have been listening to your answers, but my mind did wander ever so slightly over the last couple of minutes. I was putting myself in the shoes of being a business owner and trying to think of whether there is a single industry where AI isn't going to feature in the next five or ten years. And I can't think of one, can you? Marketing in every industry surely is going to be and is already being affected by AI.

Neil Wilkins (13:23):
I think for me, this is the big game changer. I think I certainly, having obviously watched the market, been part of the market over many decades now, I don't think I've ever seen a point where we as marketers, as a discipline, have a better opportunity in a small, medium to large size organisation to really affect change. I genuinely believe that this is probably the most exciting point in the history of marketing as we know it and its current guys. And it is because we are sort of best placed really. We can own the processes that need improving. We can get rid of the inefficiencies. We can start to work using AI to develop much more value in the products and services that we create. We can use it to become very efficient as people, as human beings, but also as Kiran said a little earlier, in terms of the data, the evaluation, and then the planning of the next stages to grow our businesses, to move into new markets, this is where AI can supercharge everything and become just the thing that we've all been waiting for.

(14:30):
So yeah, I don't think there's an individual industry where this wouldn't apply.

Daniel Fox (14:34):
I can hear the excitement in all of your voices. Just talk about why Kiran perhaps for us, why it's so exciting for both Cambridge Marketing College and the businesses, and also apprentices who we work with.

Kiran Kapur (14:49):
It's exciting for us because we are bringing something to the marketplace, which is unique, and also something that we know employers are asking for. We also know this isn't for every employer. So as we said, we have the non-AI-focused versions as well, and we do well in our apprenticeship teaching. We love our apprenticeships. We really enjoy the apprenticeship teaching side of it. So I feel like we are building on our strengths. We're bringing something to the marketplace that is new and exciting, and we are definitely meeting an employer's need.

Charlotte Lestienne (15:19):
Also, when we started to go in this direction, and we discussed with the team, we discussed with the tutors, we discussed with the employers, everybody was up for it. And it was such an excitement because we said, yes, it's the right direction, because everybody we talk to say, "Yes, this is a good idea. It's a lot of work, but yes, it's a good idea."

Daniel Fox (15:41):
Great. One final question from me, and I think we'll start with Kiran as CEO of Cambridge Marketing College. I'm a business owner. I'm interested in having an apprentice. What would you say to me? Give me your pitch.

Kiran Kapur (15:56):
My pitch is always, as all the best CEO's do, I delegate. I say, "Phone Charlotte." Charlotte is amazing. I promise we never do a hard sell. We will always talk things through with you. We will work out what is best for you. It doesn't suit us. If it doesn't suit you, it's not going to suit us. So contact Charlotte. She's very lovely. She will talk through your issues and your concerns. Thanks, Kiran.

Daniel Fox (16:22):
And Neil, perhaps what would you say to a potential apprentice listening to this today?

Neil Wilkins (16:27):
I think for the apprentice, is that this is the biggest chance to stand out. I mean, the marketplace out there right now is so competitive. There are probably fewer high-quality roles for marketers right now. There are a lot of people either looking to get into marketing or trying to develop their careers, but the opportunities are limited. So this is probably the most efficient way that you can actually supercharge your career. If you know this stuff, you're already ahead of the wave, and the wave is coming, so you do not want to wait until it arrives before you jump on. You can jump on today.

Charlotte Lestienne (17:06):
We have apprentices from 18 years old, 17 years old. We have apprentices at 55, 56, even maybe 60 right now. It can be positive for all of them. If you're a bit older and a bit afraid this is a good time and the right way to do it, and if you are young, you need to take the train. So yeah.

Daniel Fox (17:25):
Neil Wilkins, Charlotte Lestienne, Kiran Kapur, all of Cambridge Marketing College. Thank you very much, and best of luck for 2026. Thank you.