Over 60 funded spaces allocated for the corporate Award Programme are due to commence in autumn/winter 2022 to 2023.
CIPS is the professional body for the procurement and supply profession. Depending on their level of experience, procurement professionals from across the Welsh public sector can apply for either the Practitioner, or Advanced Practitioner Level.
The extension of programme will mean that the Welsh Government will have funded almost 200 procurement student places thanks to a £600,000 investment. This will upskill those already in employment and encourage new entrants into the profession.
All students commit to remain in the Welsh public sector for 2 years on completion of their course. When fully qualified, the procurement practitioners will help address the long-term sustainability of procurement and strengthen the profession in Wales.
Rebecca Morris, Procurement Officer, Caerphilly County Borough Council, who has been studying the Advanced Practitioner Level said:
“This course has allowed me to continue my journey to becoming MCIPS accredited. I have previously undertaken an exam-based route, however the support and resources provided by this programme, in particular the regular lectures and eLearning have been invaluable in aiding my studies. The models were delivered in a logical manner and at a steady pace and attention given to students to question, discuss and debate throughout.
“The knowledge that I have gained has helped me achieve a wider understanding of Welsh procurement and policy. The content of the course is relatable to my own area of work and has enabled me to use examples of projects and contracts that I have undertaken in my job and apply them to the course assignments. I am looking forward to applying the tools and techniques that I have learnt throughout the course to my role.”
Shannon Mason, Procurement Business Manager, NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, who has been studying the Advanced Practitioner Level, said:
“This course has provided me with invaluable knowledge that has supported personal and professional development within my current role. The course has not only provided excellent resources and context of Welsh public procurement; it has enabled professional relationships to develop across wider public sector bodies, which provides an opportunity for shared learning experiences and methods to enhance public sector procurement practice.”
Tristian Jones, Sell 2 Wales Officer, Welsh Government who has been studying the Corporate Award Practitioner Level said:
“As a contract manager with the Welsh Government, this course has provided me with an excellent insight not only to the MCIPS accreditation, but also how the tailored content of the course, and the knowledge gained helps further my understanding of the wider landscape of Welsh procurement and policy.
“As the course is bespoke to Wales, the content is directly relatable to my own area of work and gives me the opportunity of being able to use real examples for the course assignments.
“The support and resources provided by the programme, in particular the lectures, and e-learning has been invaluable. I look forward to progressing further once I have completed the Practitioner course and being able to implement my learning directly in my role.”
For further information about the Corporate Award Programme please see the Corporate Award Practitioner and Advanced Practitioner web pages.
Further information
Further information on courses offered by CIPS can be found here.
For further information on the Welsh Government capability and capacity programme, please e-mail: CommercialCapability@gov.wales