At Aspire Procurement Training, we’re proud to support professionals in developing their careers through apprenticeships. To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, we spoke with one of our Procurement and Supply Chain Practitioner (Level 4) Apprentices about their journey – how they started, what they’ve learned, and how the apprenticeship has helped them progress in their career.
Tell us about your role and organisation.
Moat Homes Ltd is a leading housing association in the public sector, owning and managing over 21,000 homes in the South-East area. They are a not-for-profit organisation which means any profit we make is reinvested into providing affordable homes, upgrading our existing homes and supporting local communities. I work as an Assistant Procurement Officer where my role primarily consists of managing the procurement process for Moat’s requirements.
Why did you opt for a career in procurement?
I chose to progress my career in procurement as I wanted to gain more insight into improving and efficiently managing an organisation’s supply chain. I also like that no procurement project is ever the same, and each project presents its own challenges and opportunities that need to be successfully managed.
Why did you want to study an apprenticeship?
I started my role as a Procurement Administrator with very little knowledge of procurement and decided to undertake the Procurement and Supply Chain Practitioner (Level 4) Apprenticeship to further my development and understanding.
What did you like most about the apprenticeship?
The thing I liked the most about this apprenticeship was that I could apply what I was learning to my role and could see a real positive difference between when I started to when I completed it. In addition, the support from the whole Aspire team was amazing, in particular from my skills coach, who has been super helpful throughout the whole process.
How has the apprenticeship benefitted you and your job role?
Since starting my apprenticeship, I have been able to develop my knowledge of procurement and apply this to my projects at work. As a result, I have been able to make a real positive difference at Moat through the procurement of various projects and was promoted to Assistant Procurement Officer.
Would you recommend an apprenticeship in procurement, and if so, what advice would you give to other students?
I would 100% recommend the CIPS Procurement and Supply Chain Practitioner (Level 4) Apprenticeship. The content within the modules all link and can easily be applied at work. The learning throughout the apprenticeship has really developed my understanding of procurement and has allowed me to progress in my career. The advice I would give to other students is to stay dedicated, open-minded, and to apply as much learning as possible to your work, as this truly allows opportunities to add value to your procurements.
At Aspire Procurement Training, we are proud to support apprentices in building their careers and making a real impact in the procurement profession. Interested in taking the next step in your procurement career? Discover how an apprenticeship can help you develop the skills and confidence to succeed. Find out more by contacting us here. Alternatively, call a member of our team on 0808 231 2477 today.
