With many organisations choosing Aspire Procurement Training as their main provider for apprenticeships in procurement and supply, we sit down with one of our apprentice students, Hope Edwards, to talk about her experience at Aspire. Hope shares her thoughts on what she liked most about the apprenticeship and offers advice for other students.
Tell us about your role and organisation
I currently work in Warrington as an assistant buyer for a civil engineering company. In my role, I handle the hiring and purchasing of plant and materials for around fifteen sites across the United Kingdom.
Why did you want to study an apprenticeship?
I opted for an apprenticeship in procurement and supply because it was the most relevant for my role as an assistant buyer. It also includes the CIPS accreditation, which is a major benefit. From an employer’s perspective, it’s great because, depending on whether your organization is a levy payer, they can fund the CIPS accreditations either for FREE or for as little as 5%.
What did you like most about the apprenticeship in procurement and supply?
The aspect I liked most about the apprenticeship is the classroom learning study method. I have had the chance to connect with classmates who are in similar job roles to me but in varying industries. This has certainly helped me gain different perspectives.
How has it benefited you and your job role?
The apprenticeship has benefited me massively – both in myself and my job role. The apprenticeship has boosted my confidence within my job and my knowledge and skills have certainly increased. There is always someone at Aspire to ask if I need help or if I’m not sure about something, and the classrooms are incredibly helpful for understanding the content of the CIPS syllabus. I also feel like through undertaking the apprenticeship in procurement and supply, I had the perfect work-life balance as I had to complete the apprenticeship within core working hours. I’m very thankful for that.
Would you recommend an apprenticeship in procurement and if so, what advice would you give to other students?
I would absolutely recommend an apprenticeship in procurement and supply. It teaches globally accepted best practices and valuable skills. Working in buying is a very busy job, so having the extra support to develop skills and knowledge has been great. As for advice, I would tell other apprentice students to give it their all. If they do, they will get the results they are looking for!
Apprenticeship training in Procurement and Supply Assistant (Level 3) and Commercial Procurement & Supply (Level 4) are available immediately. Aspire is accredited as a CIPS Centre of Excellence and our apprenticeships offers excellent development and the opportunity for students to graduate with a world-respected CIPS accreditation. For more insight into our Apprenticeships, click here.