As we approach the end of 2025, we take a moment to reflect on a year that has, once again, been both challenging and rewarding for the procurement and supply chain profession.
Public sector teams have been adapting to the new procurement legislation and determining best-use cases for the new Competitive Flexible Procedures alongside the more traditional open tenders.
Private sector organisations have been re-assessing the importance of value ahead of cost and availability, as resilience to risk measures taken over the past 5 years start to play out. A few teams are starting to embed AI into their procurement processes. Nearly all of our employer clients have conveyed organisational change and talent re-assessment projects. Hiring has been lower than previous years.
Our Project Management associates and learners have spoken about the increased focus on benefits realisation and addition of ESG objectives into each project business case. In more and more cases, agile project management practices and extended lifecycles are more in vogue, as organisations wish to ensure closer control on scope and spend, with confirmation that benefits are indeed banked.
Some are trialling AI systems that they hope will fully automate the project resourcing and scheduling processes, although it still seems as though AI is a support function on these topics rather than an autonomous solution in itself at this stage.
One characteristic they all share, however, has been a determination to face those challenges head on. The resilience and adaptability of supply chain professionals have continued to shine through. This year has underscored the critical role our profession plays in driving successful outcomes.
Adapting to a Changing World
At Aspire, we have continued to broaden our portfolio of training programmes and professional qualifications to meet this growing need for skilled professionals. In 2025:
Our apprenticeship portfolio has grown to 10 standards
We launched the Level 3 Team Leader and Level 5 Operations Manager apprenticeships, offering additional professional qualifications to these standards, that help reinforce the skills required for the job role of each individual apprentice.
We continue to train more and more professionals
260 apprentices enrolled in our programmes to date and more than 450 students progressed through CIPS qualifications at all levels and PFQ and PMQ project management qualifications. It’s been inspiring to witness the dedication and enthusiasm of our learners, many of whom have achieved significant milestones in their careers this year.
We delivered over 180 days of bespoke training courses, tailored to address the unique challenges faced by our clients’ supply chain teams, in both the public and private sector.
We continue to professionalise the learning experience
We launched our new Digital Learning Zone (DLZ) in the summer, packed with tuition videos, tutor tips, revision questions, tools and techniques, end of chapter assessments and signposting to wider reading and videos. The DLZ is free to all learners and can be accessed via mobile, tablet, laptop and PC – ideal for accessing learning anytime, anywhere.
Milestones and Achievements
In addition to our programme expansions, we achieved key milestones in 2025, passing our first Ofsted Inspection, maintained our status as a CIPS Centre of Excellence for the eighth consecutive year and became accredited as an APM approved training provider.
Our learners gave us a positive Net Promoter score of 57 and our employers a positive Net Promoter score of 68 in our survey this year. 95% of learners and 96% of employers would recommend us to a friend or colleague. To be rated highly by those we are working for is our proudest achievement.
Facing Challenges Together
We recognise that the economic outlook remains challenging, with many organisations grappling with cost pressures, skills shortages, legislative changes and supply chain transformation projects. However, these challenges have also highlighted the importance of investing in talent and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
As part of the Slater Austin group, our collaboration with supply chain consultancy and recruitment services has enabled us to offer a comprehensive approach to building, developing and retaining the talent needed to thrive in this environment.
Looking Ahead
As we look toward 2026, we remain committed to supporting our clients and learners through these uncertain times. Our team is already preparing for the next intake of apprentices and expanding our course offerings to meet the needs of the industry.
Our roadmap includes additional apprenticeship standards and more topics on our 1 and 2-day short courses, that upskill teams in specific supply chain topics.
We know that many of you are working tirelessly to close out the year and meet critical deadlines. We applaud your dedication and hope you find time to rest, recharge and enjoy the festive season with family and friends.
Thank-you for your continued trust and partnership. We look forward to working together in the New Year, navigating challenges and seizing new opportunities.
On behalf of the team at Aspire and Slater Austin, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with health, prosperity, success and happiness.
Warmest regards,
Richard Slater
