The Digital Product Manager Apprenticeship is an 18-month programme that will equip learners with the skills and knowledge they need to become a successful digital product manager. They will learn how to:
- Run research and discovery to develop products that deliver value.
- Understand the user experience and design process.
- Develop and manage product requirements.
- Work with cross-functional teams to deliver products on time and on budget.
- Measure and improve the success of products.
Apprentices will be able to move forward in their roles taking on more responsibility and more complex tasks related to Product Management. This programme is specifically aligned to The Institute for Apprenticeships’ Occupational Profile for Digital Product Manager Level 4.
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Summary
Fees
This programme is fully funded by your employer through the Apprenticeship Levy
Level of Study
Level 4 Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship Standard
Digital Product Manager Level 4
Entry Requirements
Level 3 Qualification (Apprenticeship/1 x A Level in any subject/BTEC etc.)
OR equivalent work experience (typically 2 years in a relevant role)
PLUS
5 x GCSE’s including English & Maths at Grade 4 (C) or above
English Language Requirements
GCSE at Grade C
Mode Of Study
Part-Time, Blended and Work-based Learning
Duration
18 months (including 4 months for EPA)
Assessment Methods
Portfolio
Locations
Live online learning (face to face for closed cohorts only, dependent upon numbers and location - London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds)
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About this course
PLEASE NOTE: To be eligible for an Apprenticeship programme, learners must be:
- 16 or over
- Living in England
- Not in full-time education
The Digital Product Manager Apprenticeship is an 18-month programme that will equip learners with the skills and knowledge they need to become a successful digital product manager. They will learn how to:
- Run research and discovery to develop products that deliver value.
- Understand the user experience and design process.
- Develop and manage product requirements.
- Work with cross-functional teams to deliver products on time and on budget.
- Measure and improve the success of products.
Apprentices will be able to move forward in their roles taking on more responsibility and more complex tasks related to Product Management. This programme is specifically aligned to The Institute for Apprenticeships’ Occupational Profile for Digital Product Manager Level 4.
How will I be taught?
As an apprentice, you are entitled to 20% of your working time off for studying. This will be agreed between your employer, you and us – we can advise how best to do this.
Our blended approach is highly work-based – you will spend 80% of your time in the programme on the job, actively applying what you’ve learned right away in the workplace.
You’ll spend the other 20% in off-the-job learning, which includes classroom sessions, digital learning activities, and learning and development activities at your workplace outside your normal day-to-day working duties.
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Careers
You will be equipped to work in a range of roles including digital product manager, associate and junior product manager.
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Modules
The Digital Product Manager Level 4 programme overview
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Getting started modules
Programme Launch
The programme launch is a meeting that introduces the learners to the programme outline, structure and assessments within the programme. There will also be a day 1 learning activity introducing learners to the role of a digital product manager.
Principles of Product Management
This module will introduce apprentices to the fundamental principles of product management Learners will explore what makes products successful and the major reasons for failure. Learners will also understand both the product development lifecycle and the product lifecycle, standards related to product management (including data management, accessibility and ethics), business case development and be aware of product delivery methodologies.
Learners will undertake a product development task within the Agile framework and have the opportunity to start to formalise their understanding of Agile. This includes roles in a Scrum team, the concept of value and of an MVP, and the Lean Startup build, measure, learn cycle.
Tech for Product Managers
Including Tech Primer: The tech primer is a short activity that introduces the learners to the technology used when carrying out the role of a Digital Product Manager.
This module will provide apprentices with a solid foundation in the tech used by the development team in building products. This will range from a high level intro to code management tools, databases and how they're structured as well as an overview of system design. It'll also include the tech stack and an overview of programming languages.
From there, apprentices will be introduced to the concept of the product stack, the tools the product team uses in their workflow. This will include analytics software, collaboration tools, prototyping and design tools and ticket management software. At the end of this module apprentices will have gained confidence in their discussions with engineers and have a good awareness of the tools used to deliver products.
Technical Modules
Stakeholder Engagement
In this module learners will work through the digital learning gaining an understanding of: stakeholder management, requirements definition, risk management and effective communication. In the one-day live event learners will participate in a product development simulation, working in groups on a scenario in which learners will practise fundamental stakeholder management techniques putting the knowledge gained from the digital learning into action, in a safe and supportive environment.
Product Research & Discovery
The research and discovery phase is all about identifying user problems worth solving and solutions worth building. During this module learners will understand how an organisation can create successful products and services by; identifying and tracking emerging trends, gathering information about users and customers and using a hypothesis-driven approach to explore and iterate potential solutions with real users. Learners will then explore how to validate hypotheses and the concept of Product Market Fit.
Product Development
In this module learners will develop their ability to deliver products through the lifecycle. This will include the fundamentals of UX, formalising further their knowledge of Agile and the build, measure, learn approach to building products. Apprentices will also understand prioritisation techniques and through a simulated activity gain experience removing blockers and resolving issues as the product is improved.
Learners will also understand how to work effectively with the marketing and sales functions to bring products to market.
Product Operations
This module will cover both meanings of product operations: increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the product function and how to support products that are live. For the former, learners will explore opportunities for automating and streamlining product processes such as collecting user feedback. And for the latter learners will understand incident management and service support, product performance measures and data-driven decision making.
Applied Product Management
This collaborative and fun workshop event enables learners to work through the entire product development lifecycle, working together to establish a user problem, ideate and refine a preferred solution and then improve that solution.
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Learner support
Digital Learning Consultant
Your Digital Learning Consultant will be your primary contact, supporting you in the successful progression and completion of your apprenticeship.
Your Digital Learning Consultant will support you in reviewing your progress and collecting evidence of your practice at work to integrate into your module assessments and final endpoint project/assessment. They are also a point of contact for queries, concerns, or general support.
Your Digital Learning Consultant can help you with:
- Coaching and supporting work-based learning activities.
- Reviewing your progress with your apprenticeship portfolio progress.
- Help with achieving your EPA Advice and guidance on mitigating (extenuating) circumstances processes and potential breaks in learning.
Workplace Mentor
A Workplace Mentor will be appointed by your employer and typically would be someone you work with. Your workplace mentor will be familiar with the apprenticeship programme and its workplace requirements. They will facilitate the workplace learning opportunities to enable you to meet the requirements of the degree apprenticeship standard.
QA Welfare Services
Our Student Welfare Team is on hand to assist you throughout your studies. Some apprenticeship learners have additional learning needs which the Welfare Team can assist with, or they might help you with personal circumstances that are affecting your studies.
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Entry info & fees
Entry requirements for this programme are as follows:
- Level 3 Qualification (Apprenticeship/1 x A Level in any subject/BTEC etc.)
- OR equivalent work experience (typically 2 years in a relevant role)
PLUS - 5 x GCSE’s including English & Maths at Grade 4 (C) or above .
Fees & finance
There is no cost to you as an apprentice. Apprenticeships are fully funded by the Apprenticeship Levy through your employer.
If you’re an employer, the total funding for this programme is 18k.
Expenses for travel to QA centres should be covered by the employer.
Find out more about the Apprenticeship Levy and other funding options.
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Digital by Design
What is Digital by Design?
Digital by Design (DxD) is our unique approach to learning design, with a blended delivery model combining tech, content and support to create a superior learner experience.
This blend of cutting-edge technology, engaging content, compelling design, dedicated, easy to access learner support brings ‘training’ up to date for the digital age.
Its purpose is to create the best possible experience for learners, helping them to deliver meaningful impact to your business, faster. This translates into greater career success, and helps to futureproof organisations for digital transformation.
Cloud Academy
Courses delivered on DxD also offer access to our world leading learning platform, Cloud Academy.
With over 10,000 hours of training, cutting-edge labs and sandboxed environments, Cloud Academy allows Degree Apprentices to learn by doing, building their confidence and competencies, without the risks of working in a live system.
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Enquire now
If you're looking to kickstart your tech career and you're interested in starting an apprenticeship find out more here.
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We can work together to help recruit tech and digital apprentices or help reskill your existing workforce and provide your business with the in-demand tech skills you need.
Get in touch with us. Our team will respond within 48 hours.