What is OTJ (Off-The-Job Training)?
Off-the-job (OTJ) training is learning that takes place outside an apprentice’s usual work tasks, focusing on developing broader skills, knowledge, and behaviours essential for their role. For marketing apprentices, OTJ training ensures they gain a well-rounded understanding of industry practices, strategic thinking, and practical skills, which strengthens their capability and confidence, ultimately adding long-term value to your team and business.
However, OTJ training doesn’t just have to be about building direct marketing skills; it can be about developing a well-rounded skillset that enhances a marketer’s overall effectiveness. Exposure to cross-functional areas like data analysis, project management, customer insights, and teamwork cultivates broader, synergistic abilities that enrich their strategic thinking, adaptability, and problem-solving. These wider skills make marketing apprentices not just skilled practitioners but valuable, versatile team members.
Here’s a list of activities you could arrange
Shadowing sessions across departments
Arrange for your apprentice to spend time with other teams—such as design, sales, and product development—so they can see the wider business picture and understand how marketing aligns with company goals.
Hands-on campaign planning
Let them take the lead! Whether it’s a seasonal campaign or a new product launch, guide them through the planning process from scratch. This covers strategy, budgeting, and aligning with KPIs, offering a genuine insight into campaign management.
Customer interviews & feedback sessions
Encourage them to engage directly with customers or run feedback sessions. They’ll gain first-hand insights into customer personas, preferences, and challenges, invaluable for creating targeted marketing campaigns.
Competitor analysis workshop
Ask your apprentice to conduct a competitor analysis and present it to the team. This will help them understand the market landscape and refine their research and analytical skills.
Exposure to offline marketing
Show them the ‘offline’ side of marketing—trade shows, in-store promotions, print advertising. It’s great for digital-focused apprentices to see how traditional channels contribute to a well-rounded marketing strategy.
Data deep-dive day
Dedicate time for your apprentice to explore analytics tools and interpret campaign performance. Hands-on experience with data will develop their analytical thinking and reporting skills.
Mock presentations & pitch practice
Let them pitch a campaign idea to you or another team member—think mock presentations, proposal-building, and feedback sessions. This builds their confidence and hones their communication skills.
Visits to creative agencies or industry events
Take them along to creative agencies or industry events. Exposure to agency work and networking with industry professionals can offer fresh perspectives and spark creativity.
Cross-team brainstorming sessions
Include your apprentice in brainstorming sessions with cross-functional teams. This lets them experience idea-sharing in action and see how collaborative input shapes campaigns and strategies.
Skill-building on new tools
Spend time training them on platforms like CRM systems, SEO tools, or even AI-driven marketing assistants. The more they understand, the more they can contribute to tech-driven marketing efforts within the company.
Bonus ideas for OTJ
- Organise a mentorship pairing with a senior marketer in the company;
- Assign research on current industry trends and emerging technologies;
- Task them with drafting social media posts and content calendars;
- Arrange for them to audit and improve existing content for SEO;
- Include them in focus groups or user testing sessions;
- Get them to assist in creating email marketing campaigns and measuring their impact;
- Have them review and report on customer feedback from surveys or review sites;
- Encourage them to research and suggest new marketing channels;
- Let them work on crafting A/B testing ideas for ongoing campaigns;
- Set up a day for them to conduct product or service training to better understand the brand.
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