In this section
Business and Administration Apprentice (Procurement Department)
Who am I?
Hi, I’m Rachel. Before I joined the Trust, I was still in education at college but also a part-time job at an opticians. Previously I had jobs that were either waitressing or cleaning roles but after college my aim was to find a position in a business-administration environment.
Why did you pick an apprenticeship?
At college, whilst the majority of students were applying for universities, I was unsure on what my next step would be but I knew the university route just wasn’t for me. I had thought about applying for permanent jobs but I knew this would be difficult with my lack of workplace experience and therefore I looked further into apprenticeships (as this would allow me to gain both a qualification and valuable workplace experience). I first heard about an apprenticeship in the Procurement Department at York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust whilst I was still at college, after members of the department had come in to give a talk on the upcoming position. Before the talk, I was unsure on what the word “procurement” even meant! I found the talk and the thought of working in a busy hospital environment very interesting so I applied for the position. I have now been an apprentice in the Procurement Department for just under a year and spent about £1M!
What does your work as an apprentice entail?
My role as a Business and Administration Apprentice in Procurement consists of placing stock orders with suppliers for a variety of theatres, wards and/or departments. I have to liaise with medical/non-medical staff across the Trust regarding their orders and any order discrepancies we may encounter. During my apprenticeship, I have also had the opportunity to go into others areas within in my department such as Stores, Materials Management and Systems, which I have found useful as it gives you and insight into how the department works as a whole.Occasionally, members of the department can get the opportunity to see how the products they purchase are used within the hospital environment such as in the operating theatres. During my time as an apprentice I have had the opportunity to go into the operating theatres to watch an orthopaedic operation which I am grateful for as not many non-medical people get the opportunity to see an operation taking place.As an apprentice, I have monthly assessments with my NVQ assessor, to make sure I can evidence my work to fulfil the criteria needed to complete the NVQ qualification.
What you have enjoyed most about the apprenticeship?
The things I have enjoyed most about the apprenticeship are being taught valuable workplace skills and experience in a busy NHS environment and being able to communicate and build working relationships with a range of people who share to the same purpose which is to help maintain a high level of patient care.
