Ben Sheehan – Sanctuary Group

I opted to do an apprenticeship very early into my time doing A-levels, as I felt the workplace was the best way for me to progress and learn. I looked into different vacancies and was keen to work for Sanctuary Housing as it was clear they valued their apprentices and I saw a clear career path through the opportunities they had provided too other apprentices.

I started my apprenticeship career after completing my A Levels by starting with business administration level 2, working in the Procurement team at Sanctuary, my aspirations is to complete my Level 4 apprenticeship after successfully passing all my exams and then complete the Level 6 Certificate in Procurement and Supply course and obtain MCIPS status.

The CIPS Level 6 Professional Diploma enables the development and implementation of procurement and supply chain strategies and plans that can have a fundamental impact on an organisation’s performance. It is a degree equivalent qualification, allowing you to use the letters MCIPS after your name. I have developed a passion for procurement and enjoy the environment that I work in, with this I hope in the future to become a manager.

When I began my apprenticeship, I wouldn’t have described myself as an ambitious person and I can’t say that knew what I wanted to do when I first started. I knew that Sanctuary was a big company that treated its apprentices well and my time with the company has allowed me to grow and given me the confidence to be more ambitious. If when I started my level 2 apprenticeship you had told me that I would end up in a position where I would have a clear pathway to a level 6 qualification, I would have been over the moon and a little bit surprised.

I would encourage younger people to look at apprenticeships as a great way to get your foot in the door. Just because you enter in one job role that doesn’t mean you won’t end up doing something completely different. You need to take advantage of every opportunity and say yes to all of them. This will lead to you impressing the right people and opening more doors for yourself.