The Marketing Youth Apprenticeship program is designed to prepare individuals for the major occupational areas within marketing and management. Marketing, simply defined, is the selling of ideas, products and services of all kinds to identified and qualified markets.
Since Business Administration is the number one declared major of college freshmen and it accounts for 39% of all US jobs, including the largest number of career positions annually, it is imperative that students have an opportunity to experience this career.
Marketing includes channel management, recruiting, image building, promoting, marketing information management, market planning, product service management, selling and training, financing, and communicating. Marketing is a process that can be adapted to virtually every economic, social, or public activity and is an essential ingredient in making our free enterprise system work.
The Marketing youth apprenticeship program embodies competency-based instruction, the project-based method, portfolio assessment and cooperative learning where students learn occupational skills that are transferable to many careers as well as technical college and university degrees.
The Marketing Career Cluster prepares students for careers in Merchandising, Professional Sales, Marketing Communications, Marketing Research and Marketing Research. Marketing career opportunities are available in every sector of the economy and require skill in organization, time management, customer service and communication
Students in this youth apprenticeship learn and practice skills that prepare them for diverse post-secondary opportunities. These opportunities could include two or four-year college programs, or employment. Students in this apprenticeship have the option to participate in the following pathways:
- Production Pathway
- Professional Sales Unit
- Merchandising Unit
- Marketing Communication Unit
- Marketing Research/Competitive Intelligence Unit
- Marketing Management/Leadership Unit
- Entering junior year or senior status
- Display a genuine interest in the Marketing Pathway
- Interview effectively and are hired in a marketing position
- Maintain a high level of attendance in school and on the job
- Secure transportation to the job
- On-track for high school graduation
Recommended: Take marketing related classes before starting this youth apprenticeship
Students take courses at their high school that are part of the program of study for finance that provide the related classroom instruction needed to compliment the worksite training. Such courses can include:
- Marketing Essentials I – Marketing I
- Marketing Essentials II – Marketing II – Advanced Marketing
- Principles of Marketing
- Retail Operations
- Sports & Entertainment Marketing
- Certified Business Coop
- Certified Marketing Coop
Talk to your School to Career Coordinator or Business/Marketing Instructor for further information.
The employer provides opportunities to experience the basics of marketing careers in relation to the competency checklist. They provide a mentor to guide and train the student. The employer also evaluates the student on a quarterly basis.
The student can be employed in a retail firm, marketing department of a company, marketing research firm, or a marketing communications/advertising firm are examples. They also are able to provide the student with the competency-based training in the marketing area that is specific to the student’s career interest. The positions for these students are usually 2-3 hours a day after 1 p.m. The student needs to be employed a minimum of 450 hours for the one year program and 900 hours minimum for the two year program.
Credit between school districts varies, but typically the student will receive 1/2 – 1 credit per semester for the work experience and the same for their classroom training. All students should receive a wage according to the type of work they are performing.