Apprentice Buyer Review

I work for Manchester Airport Group in the group Procurement and Contracts team. Procurement oversea all sourcing and contracting activity to ensure goods and/or services are sourced in an ethical and compliant manner. My day-to-day responsibilities include: managing purchase order approvals, liaising with internal stakeholders and external stakeholders (suppliers) as well as assisting the wider team with spend reviews and managing tenders.

I have learnt many different skills since starting as an apprentice at Manchester Airport, for example, since studying towards my level 4 qualification in procurement and supply I have become far more commercially astute and have increased knowledge in how businesses operate. Furthermore in my job role I often have to communicate with external stakeholders (suppliers) and thus I have become more confident with communication, whether it be verbal, face to face or written.

I am 13 months into my apprenticeship programme and I am enjoying it very much. I enjoy working with the wider procurement and contracts team to gain an insight into the broad procurement activity that takes place at Manchester Airport. Furthermore, I also enjoy my study (level 4 Charted Institute of Procurement and Supply) course as I learn something new every time I attend study days.

My apprenticeship programme is structured very well in a clear and manageable manner- to become Level 4 CIPS qualified I have to complete 5 exams, for each exam my training provider delivers 3 day courses to analyse the syllabus and prepare me for each exam. Internally management is great at Manchester Airport, the wider team have mapped out a schedule for me that allows me to spend time in each of the procurement categories (IT & Professional Services, Governance and Performance, Capital and Commercial).

I have worked on numerous procurement projects with the help of the wider Procurement and Contracts team and have found internal colleagues and management to be extremely supportive with helping me get to grips with my new role as Apprentice Buyer. Furthermore, I receive plenty of support with my study/revision from colleagues that have completed their CIPS qualification.

The training provider offer great support via an online learning platform (One File). I am regularly set homework tasks to complete, each homework is marked within 7 days and I receive comprehensive feedback from the training providers tutors to outline my strengths and areas I need to focus on. Furthermore, the training provider also provide great revision material that really helps me prepare for my exams.

As I am studying towards a diploma in Procurement and Supply (CIPS Level 4) the course is really helping me understand how to carry out procurement activity in a best practice fashion. Furthermore, I have developed a wider understanding of procurement regulation which has allowed me to appreciate the policies and processes we have in place at Manchester Airport.

The Procurement and Contracts team carry out 2 annual team away days- these days are an opportunity for the wider team to collaborate in an informal setting and helps everyone in the team build rapport, Furthermore, Manchester Airport also support professional networking events, for example my employer allowed myself and my fellow apprentices to attend the Northern power House Apprenticeship event. The Northern Power House Apprenticeship event was a great opportunity for apprentices from the North to get together and discuss how employers could improve apprenticeships.

Yes

MAG Airports is a great fun and friendly place to work, there are plenty of opportunities to excel and move around the different business areas. Furthermore, MAG Airport offer plenty of opportunities to upskill by investing in training and apprenticeships at all levels and ages. I also think the ethos at MAG Airports is commendable and I'm very proud to work here.

Make sure you spend quality time when submitting an application that is bespoke to the role as opposed to submitting a generic application. Furthermore, it is important to have a genuine interest in the airports operations thus I would advise doing some research on the MAG Airports. To conclude, I would also suggest asking interviewers questions at the end of the interview to display your interest in the role.