Marketing expert hopes apprenticeship will boost industry intake

A director at Marketing and Leadership Academy is calling on companies to “take the gamble” on bringing more people into the industry by taking advantage of the Government’s decision to fully fund apprenticeships.

Claire MacDonald, director of teaching and learning at TMLA, hopes the Chancellor’s announcement to scrap the apprenticeship training levy for SMEs will encourage them to invest in young marketing talent.

Her comments come in the wake of Rachel Reeves announcing funding for apprenticeships for under-25-year-olds, meaning companies would no longer pay 5% of the training costs.

The funding was made available to make it more affordable for companies to take on apprenticeships, creating jobs for young people and getting them on the first step of their career ladder.

One industry which has a below-average number of apprentices is marketing, with only 15.9% of UK firms currently operating a marketing apprentice scheme, according to a survey conducted by Marketing Week, down from 20.6% last year and 33.6% in 2023.

The lack of numbers, Claire says, could be a reflection of companies traditionally seeing marketing as the “Cinderella department” – a nice-to-have rather than a core part of the business function – and an inability of marketers to show tangible results from their work.

However, according to the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, companies that maintain consistent marketing investment, rather than treating it as a short-term cost, deliver stronger long-term value and more stable profit performance.

An IPA / Brand Finance survey of more than 200 UK and US investment analysts found that 79% considered the strength of a firm’s brand and marketing to be more important than leadership and technological innovation.

Claire said: “Surveys still show that many firms consider taking on a marketing apprentice to be a gamble, so with the Chancellor having scrapped the training levy, we’re calling on small companies to take the gamble this year.

“Marketing isn’t just a luxury add-on. A well-trained, properly integrated marketer operates as a strategic driver of business success and, because modern apprenticeships are industry-led, they’re designed to reflect the bigger picture.

“At TMLA we champion the investment in marketing talent, so are fully behind any initiative that encourages it, because companies that commit to marketing, while supporting and mentoring their apprentices, can benefit hugely.”

TMLA, which is based in Derby, is owned and run by a marketing agency MacMartin and accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).

It offers a range of training courses for different levels of experience, from a 12-week digital marketing skills bootcamp to a CIM Level 6 Diploma.