Procurement Entry Schemes

The Government Procurement Service has established two important new routes into the procurement profession.

The Government Procurement Service Entry Schemes form part of the work being done by the GPS to create a sustainable balance of appropriately skilled and suitably managed procurement professionals, to match the growing scale and complexity of the Government's delivery agenda

The schemes aim to:

• Raise the profile of procurement as a professional career
• Attract and retain new talent into government procurement
• Ensure the long term availability of top-class procurement professionals for government
• Support the work taking place to raise procurement capability and skills across government
  

Government Procurement Graduate Scheme

The GPGS is a two year graduate scheme providing participants with a solid foundation for a commercial career in government. The purpose of the scheme is to raise the profile of procurement in the public sector as a profession and recruit new talent into government procurement for long term development. Each year the GPS recruit a cohort of graduate trainees on behalf of participating organisations. The graduate trainees are employed directly by those organisations on their terms and conditions, GPS fund, organise and manage professional training and learning and development that will enable the trainees to gain their CIPS Graduate Diploma and have an excellent chance of promotion in government procurement through access to master classes and work experience and placements not usually readily available.

There are currently two cohorts of trainees working across government and a third will be in place in September 2009. Applications from graduates for 2009 entry have now closed but further information on the scheme is still available. Expressions of interest from Departments considering hosting a graduate will be accepted until 15th May 2009.

Interested in hosting a graduate placement? Find out more...

Interested in applying for the scheme? Find out more...

Fast Stream Procurement Placement Option

The Fast Stream Procurement Placement Option aims to offer a number of places in central government commercial roles to members of the Civil Service Fast Stream. Successful applicants will be exposed to a range of procurement and management roles to build commercial experience and skills, which are of increasing importance in government.

The aim of the scheme is to equip future senior civil servants with a sound understanding of the significance and complexity of procurement activities. And for some, it may lead to a move into senior commercial roles in government.

Working in a procurement environment will enable fast streamers to gain experience in either Operational Delivery or Corporate Services, two areas that can be most difficult for fast streamers to access on their journey to the senior civil service.

Interested in the scheme? Find out more...