While the world was locked down and confined to online interactions, it sparked a shift in consumer behaviour and pushed the trend towards digital products. Between January 2020 and August 2021, the number of daily active users of digital products increased by 54% (up from 19% in April 2019). Even after the world returned to ‘normal’, the desire for digital products grew stronger, with the volume of digital products increasing by 70% in the last two years.
Digital products are a smart commercial play. When compared to physical products, there’s no need for manufacturing, packaging, or shipping, which lowers your overheads and boosts your bottomline. Digital products are also highly scalable, as well as allowing you to tap into global markets with ease. And they can help you to create ‘sticky’ customer relationships, for example, with apps, subscriptions, SaaS offerings, and IoT devices.
Digital product managers are responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle management of your digital product portfolio. They bridge the gap between business objectives, user needs, and technology. McKinsey refers to the role as a “mini-CEO of the product", and when they get it right, they can raise your revenue by over a third.
"Product managers are the glue that bind the many functions that touch a product – engineering, design, customer success, sales, marketing, operations, finance, legal, and more. They not only own the decisions about what gets built but also influence every aspect of how it gets built and launched."
McKinsey
One of the Most Sought After Skills in the UK
Unsurprisingly, as the demand for digital products increases, so does the demand for digital product managers. Research performed by People Management shows an increase in demand of 140% since 2022. However, a lack of talent has left nearly 9 in 10 organisations (87%) with a skills gap in their product management teams.
When you find yourself unable to hire new talent, the alternative is to upskill or reskill your internal teams, which can be a welcome strategy if you find yourself with tight budgets or facing a freeze on headcount. Also, you know your people, which makes it less risky since they already know your business, are behind your vision, and fit culturally within your team.
The best way to upskill/reskill your team is through an apprenticeship programme, because apprenticeships allow learners to acquire new skills alongside their current work commitments. They also encourage learners to put their new skills into practice on day one, so you see an immediate return on your investment. And with 79% of learners opting for ‘advanced’ or ‘higher’ programmes, apprenticeships are suitable for all levels in your organisation, from entry-level graduates through to senior leaders.
Apprenticeship Programmes are ‘Win-Win’
Apprenticeships are a popular way to build future skills, because they help you to improve your employee retention rates and productivity, boost your reputation, and know how to take advantage of the latest technologies. For your employees, apprenticeships help them to grow their careers, boost their confidence, and promote job satisfaction.
One of the best corporate upskilling programmes is the Digital Product Manager Apprenticeship (L4), because it helps learners to master the digital product lifecycle, leverage AI, and collaborate with cross-functional teams. Also, learners don’t need any prior experience – over 50% of product managers come from non-product backgrounds.
Cambridge Spark Sets the Gold Standard
At Cambridge Spark, we set the gold standard in apprenticeships. We’re always first to market with recognised certifications and qualifications that develop new skills.
We blend live lectures, workshops and self-paced e-learning, with support from expert lecturers, technical mentors, and professionally trained coaches – as well as grant access to our online learning platform, EDUKATE.AI, and community of 4,000+ learners and alumni.
The Digital Product Manager Apprenticeship (L4) focuses on customer-driven product management, with a strong focus on understanding customer needs, preferences, and behaviours. It also adopts a user-centric approach to design, leaning into end-user research, problem-solving methodologies, and prototyping.
The curriculum, which is developed by expert lecturers and tutors drawn from top universities and leading data-driven organisations, places strong emphasis on data analysis for product management, to ensure data is used to drive growth and inform strategic product decisions. As well as teaching learners digital product planning to develop product roadmaps and prioritise initiatives that support your digital transformation goals. And digital product development to provide an understanding of both linear and Agile approaches to delivery.
With Cambridge Sparks’ approach to learning, one digital apprentice can make a big difference to your business:
Discover More About the Digital Product Manager Apprenticeship (L4)
Equip your employees with the expertise to manage the full digital product lifecycle, while gaining hands-on experience in user research, product strategy, Agile methodologies, and stakeholder management – key skills you need to succeed in today’s fast-paced, competitive environment.