Tell us a bit about you?

I’m 28 Years old and living in Edinburgh. I’ve worked in the Civil Service for almost a decade. My hobbies include going to the gym, walking and watching films.

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What is your current job and what does it involve?

I’m a Senior Portfolio Specialist In Procurement Services Division. My manager and I are working on a procurement project called “Digital Support Services for Agriculture and Rural Economy”. The purpose of this project is to purchase IT specialist resources to work in teams so that reliable, secure and up-to-date services continue to be delivered for Agriculture Payment Systems. It’s been an incredibly challenging and rewarding project to work on and should be finalised next year.

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What attracted you to apply for an apprenticeship?

The salary was very competitive and all the other benefits of working in the SG made it a very attractive opportunity. The phrase “learn and earn” sums up the apprenticeship perfectly!

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How did you hear about apprenticeships at the Scottish Government?

A career advisor at school recommended the apprenticeship route for me, and I found out that these positions were advertised on a website called apprenticeships.scot

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When did you start your apprenticeship and what type was it?

I started my apprenticeship in August 2015, it was a procurement apprenticeship in which I completed an SVQ level 3 in Procurement and Supply chain over two years.

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What stage are you at now, have you completed the apprenticeship?

I completed my Modern Apprenticeship in 2017 and have moved round quite a few different teams and roles since, always in the Scottish Procurement and Property Directorate.

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What did you learn from the experience of being an apprentice?

I learned the importance of having a positive attitude and getting involved in things even if you’re not confident when starting out. Just keep showing up and be positive, colleagues are always happy to support you as long as you’re putting in the effort.

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What has been your biggest achievement since joining the Scottish Government?

I was awarded the Procurement People of Tomorrow award at this year’s Procurex Go awards conference. The award “recognises the achievements of the next generation of public procurement professional in Scotland. It focuses on individuals who have progressed through the Procurement People of Tomorrow programme and who are making a valuable contribution to public procurement in their organisation and more widely across the nation.”

I am very proud that I won this award, and I’d like to thank all my colleagues who supported me throughout my career.

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What are your ambitions for the future?

I will continue to work in procurement and plan to move around different teams to continue to broaden my knowledge of the profession.

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What does a typical working day look like for you now?

Every day can be very different depending on what stage of the procurement process we are at. There are always lots of meetings with stakeholders as communication really is a key aspect of procurement work. Today I am looking at calculating savings compared to previous contracts, using inflation data and other data sources to accurately do this.

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What do you think is the best thing about working in the public sector?

I can’t speak for the whole of the public sector, having only worked in the Scottish Government, but I will say I have always been very impressed with the culture of this organisation. In my experience, there has always been a strong focus on development and making sure staff are happy with a good work life balance. There are also a range of other benefits such as flexi time and a great pension scheme.

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Would you recommend undertaking an apprenticeship at the Scottish Government?

Yes, you’ll benefit from great terms and conditions and have the flexibility to develop many different career paths here. I have personally recommended to many of my friends that they apply for a modern apprenticeship at Scottish Government, so far quite a few have joined and all are having an excellent experience.

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What career advice would you give your younger self?

Get involved in different things other than the day job. All experience is good experience! Embrace being out of your comfort zone.