Procurement & Commercial Apprentice Review

My placement involves the tendering stage of the procurement cycle. My role includes duties such as drafting of specifications, creation of invitation to tender documents, running of the tender process as well as creation of contract documents. These jobs require stakeholder management, whether that be suppliers, managers or other teams within TfL.

I have learned the following: Procurement best practise in order to operate within the relevant legislation, how to manage stakeholder expectations, how to undertake procurements of varying types and complexities. How to communicate effectively with all relevant stakeholders. How to create the tender documents and contracts for the required services.

I have very much enjoyed my programme so far, the culture within TfL is very conducive to openness. This means that frank conversations can be had with all colleagues when necessary. My team in particular is fantastic, and we all support each other in everything we do. I cannot recommend it enough.

The placement structure is great and is designed to give us as much experience in relevant areas as possible during the 2 year program. When it comes to day to day activities, the structure has also been great so far. Projects are assigned depending on my workload and learning/exam schedule, and I can always let my manager know that I am at capacity and not take on any more work until that capacity is reduced.

I feel that any support I need has been given and will be given in future if I need it. Both my placement manager and line manager have regular 1-2-1 meetings with me to check on my progress and to ensure that I am progressing as I would expect to.

The CIPS training provider schedules regular one to one meetings to discuss my apprenticeship progress - these meetings cover both the study side of my apprenticeship as well as the placement/ day to day side. Any issues I have had have been dealt with or escalated to the relevant person to deal with them.

The CIPS training helps to give important context to my day to day activities. It also allows for me to develop a deeper knowledge of the things I am doing every day. This also allows me to find ways to innovate and improve processes in my day to day job.

There is a huge number of extra curricular activities to get involved in. Things such as site visits, sports teams, networking events, mental health groups to name just a few. There is a dedicated Graduate and Apprentice committee within TfL that organises a lot of these events and keeps us all in the loop.

Yes

The culture of the workplace is unlike any I have worked in before. There is such a focus on personal and professional development that I think is sometimes overlooked in other organisations. Add to that the importance given to work life balance and you have the recipe for a fantastic place to work!

You do not need direct experience in order to get an apprenticeship! My experience was entirely made up of customer service, and my degree was in Music Technology. Now I am well on my way to a qualification in Procurement. You can always find examples from your personal life or other jobs that can apply to a role - you just have to look for them.