AI Marketing Specialist Level 3

Level 3 apprenticeship standard

For people running digital marketing day to day who want AI doing the heavy lifting on content, targeting and reporting.

Check if it is funded for youRead the plain English guide
Level 3Apprenticeship level
8 to 15 monthsOn programme
8 hours a weekPer week, employer supported
100% onlineLive, not recorded
£0Cost to the learner

In short

The AI Marketing Specialist Level 3 is a UK apprenticeship running 8 to 15 months online. It needs around 8 hours a week. You finish with the Multi-Channel Marketer Level 3 Apprenticeship. Levy-paying employers are usually fully funded, and for other employers the government funds all of it for an apprentice aged 16 to 24. The learner never pays.

Who this is for

Any sector using digital marketing, including sales, retail, finance, healthcare and education.

Job titles it commonly suits

  • Digital communications executive
  • Marketing assistant
  • Marketing administrator
  • Marketing junior
  • Social media executive
  • Social media coordinator

Who this is not for

Worth being blunt. The wrong fit wastes a year and can cost your employer the funding.

You are not running live campaigns

You need real campaigns to evidence. Marketing theory with no delivery behind it does not pass this assessment.

You only manage one channel

The standard is multi-channel by design. If your role is purely one platform and will stay that way, the breadth will feel irrelevant.

You have under 8 hours a week

This one asks more than the others, around eight hours weekly. Be honest about whether that exists.

You want a pure AI course

A good half of this is marketing fundamentals: the 7Ps, SWOT and PESTEL, RACE, personas and funnels. The AI sits on top of that, it does not replace it.

You do not get to see the results

If someone else owns the analytics and you never see performance data, the evaluation half of the standard is out of reach.

Your marketing is entirely outsourced

If an agency runs the campaigns and you coordinate, there may not be enough delivery of your own to evidence.

What you actually study

You will work with AI-powered marketing tools for content creation, audience targeting, campaign delivery and performance monitoring.

Business and brandBusiness structure, vision and objectives, brand theory, positioning, value, identity and tone of voice.
Working with stakeholdersInternal stakeholder collaboration, team roles and responsibilities.
Marketing planningThe marketing mix and the 7Ps, SWOT and PESTEL analysis, the RACE framework for planning campaigns.
Understanding the customerCustomer journey, personas, touchpoints, sales funnels and segmentation.
Research and insightResearch and survey tools, data analysis and audience insight, competitor analysis, benchmarking and positioning.
Content and copyContent marketing principles, copywriting technique and design principles.
Project and stakeholder workMarketing project management, and stakeholder communication with evaluation and justification.

How the programme runs

  1. Enrolment and initial review

    Eligibility checked, paperwork signed, and your starting point assessed against the standard.

  2. On programme, 8 to 15 months

    Live online workshops each month of three to four hours, a monthly one to one with your tutor, and a progress review every ten weeks. Class sizes cap at ten.

  3. Building the portfolio

    Expect to evidence a campaign you planned against an objective, the audience research behind it, the content you produced and the performance data afterwards.

  4. End Point Assessment, up to 5 months

    A portfolio of evidence, an evaluative report, a presentation and a professional discussion.

  5. Where it leads

    Progression routes include Further learning at Level 4, or higher education.

What your portfolio will actually contain

The evaluation matters more than the result. A campaign that underperformed, properly analysed, evidences the standard better than a lucky win you cannot explain.

What a typical week looks like

This one asks for around eight hours, which is more than the others, because campaign work and its evaluation both have to be evidenced.

In practice that means running your campaigns as normal, then capturing the planning, the reasoning and the results as you go instead of reconstructing them later.

What you need before you start

  • Be employed in, or hired into, a role with digital marketing and AI-supported campaign responsibilities
  • Be working on real marketing projects that demonstrate applied AI technique
  • Have employer support for around 8 hours a week of development

There are no academic entry requirements. What matters is that the job gives you real work to evidence.

What it costs

Funded through the apprenticeship levy and government co-investment.

£0
If your employer pays the levy, funded from money they already contribute
£0
If they do not pay the levy, for an apprentice aged 16 to 24, with government funding 95% for anyone older
£0
To you, the learner, in every case

Employers with an annual pay bill over £3 million pay the levy. For the AI Marketing Specialist route the same rules apply as any other apprenticeship standard. Funding rules are set by the funding body and can change, so check before committing.

Common questions

What qualification does the AI Marketing Specialist apprenticeship give you?

The Multi-Channel Marketer Level 3 Apprenticeship. It is a national apprenticeship standard, so it is recognised outside the organisation you train with.

How long is the AI Marketing Specialist apprenticeship?

8 to 15 months on programme, then End Point Assessment over up to 5 months. The range depends on how quickly you gather portfolio evidence in your own role.

How many hours a week does it need?

Around 8 hours a week, protected by your employer. That time is a funding condition rather than a recommendation, so agree it before you enrol.

What does the AI Marketing Specialist apprenticeship cost?

Nothing to you. In England it is funded through the apprenticeship levy and government co-investment. Levy-paying employers usually draw it from the levy they already pay. Other employers pay nothing for an apprentice aged 16 to 24, and for one aged 25 or over the government funds 95 per cent, with a levy transfer able to cover the rest.

Do I need qualifications to start?

No academic entry requirements. What you do need is a digital communications executive type role with genuine work to evidence, because the assessment is built from what you actually do.

How is it assessed?

A portfolio drawn from your own work, an evaluative report, a presentation and a professional discussion. The portfolio is the part that takes planning, so start capturing evidence in week one.

Is it delivered online?

Yes, live online workshops rather than recorded video. Monthly sessions of three to four hours, a monthly one to one, and a review every ten weeks. Class sizes cap at ten.

What comes after the AI Marketing Specialist apprenticeship?

Progression routes include Further learning at Level 4, or higher education.

See if it is funded for you

It takes a couple of minutes. If it is the wrong course for you, we will say so.

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We help UK employers and employees access government-funded AI training. Training is delivered by third-party providers. We do not guarantee a place, a qualification, a job or any particular outcome. Eligibility and funding rules are set by the funding body and can change. Always check the current position before you commit. See our disclaimer. Follow us on Instagram.