Does marketing have an early talent problem?

This week on The Marketing Week Podcast we’re tackling marketing’s early talent problem. With fewer routes into the industry and a lack of support for apprenticeships, are aspiring marketers being shut out before they even get started? Marketing Week's 2025 Career & Salary Survey revealed just 15.9% of companies operate a marketing apprenticeship, citing the level of resource required and a lack of senior buy-in as key barriers. In this episode, deputy managing editor and head of insight Charlotte Rogers and senior reporter Molly Innes are joined by editor-in-chief Russell Parsons to dig into what is holding the industry back from opening up different ways of entering the industry and its problem with representation. The episode features an interview with Cerys Gardiner, former apprentice and marketing manager at Medichecks, who details the benefits to businesses of hiring marketing apprentices. We also speak to Brixton Finishing School's head of adventure Jo Royce and Simone Johnson, head of new business and strategic partnerships, who discuss the work they're doing to support early talent pathways.