Purchasing Apprentice

Summary

Kickstart your procurement career as a Purchasing Apprentice! Work alongside the Purchasing Manager to ensure seamless supply chain operations. From coordinating orders to securing on-time deliveries, you’ll gain hands-on experience in supplier management and logistics—developing key skills for a thriving future in business with a great company.

Wage

£14,722.50 to £23,809.50, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course

Customer service practitioner (level 2)

Hours

Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm with 30 minute lunch. No evening or weekend working. Flexible hours available.

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Friday 1 August 2025

Duration

1 year 3 months

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

1. Perform general office administrative tasks, which include checking/processing order acknowledgements, shipping paperwork, confirming prices, products, and delivery dates, which include reporting any discrepancies back to the order originator.

2. Maintain data summarising currency requirements and cash flow, as well as estimated times of delivery for use by other departments of the management team.

3. Setting up stock codes and specification sheets on the group IT System.

4. Assisting the Purchasing Manager with processing/confirming orders for sale/transfer of inventory between other companies and sites within the Group.

5. Arranging artwork proof confirmation for new stock codes and saving them onto the system.

6. Consult with freight forwarding partners to maximise supplier efficiencies, ensuring on-time shipment and arrival of containers.

7. Update purchase orders and maintain container import records to track orders and shipment progress, communicating to warehouse and sales.

8. Creating warehouse receipts of intake stock onto the system upon of documentation receipt.

9. To assist in stock discrepancies

10. Communication of non-conformances throughout the department

11. Make use of business systems to maintain activities/tasks allocated to each purchase order to ensure on-time and in-full deliveries.

12. To provide cover for other members of the Purchasing team, as appropriate.

13. Data gathering to assist in purchasing project work.

14. Any other responsibilities commensurate with the nature of the role.

Where you'll work

1
Glentrool Avenue
Sherburn In Elmet
North Yorkshire
LS25 6RE

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

LUMINATE EDUCATION GROUP

Your training course

Customer service practitioner (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

Use a range of questioning skills, including listening and responding in a way that builds rapport, determines customer needs and expectations and achieves positive engagement and delivery.
Depending on your job role and work environment: Use appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication skills, along with summarising language during face-to-face communications; and/or
Depending on your job role and work environment: Use appropriate communication skills, along with reinforcement techniques (to confirm understanding) during non-facing customer interactions.
Depending on your job role and work environment: Use an appropriate ‘tone of voice’ in all communications, including written and digital, that reflect the organisation’s brand.
Provide clear explanations and offer options in order to help customers make choices that are mutually beneficial to both the customer and your organisation.
Be able to organise yourself, prioritise your own workload/activity and work to meet deadlines.
Demonstrate patience and calmness.
Show you understand the customer’s point of view.
Use appropriate sign-posting or resolution to meet your customers needs and manage expectations.
Maintain informative communication during service recovery.

Your training plan

At Leeds City College, an apprentice spends 20% of their normal working hours in ‘off-the-job’ training – this can take place weekly, monthly or in one concentrated block of time. As an example, if an apprentice was working 35 hours a week, they would spend 7 hours a week on ‘off-the-job’ training.

You will have access to a Personal Tutor who comes to see you at our premises in Sherburn-in-Elmet.

In addition to the support from college, you will go through the Cromwell Curriculum - an internal induction programme aimed at providing you with the knowledge and skills you need to progress in your career with us.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English (grade 4+)
Maths (grade 4+)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
IT skills
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Customer care skills
Problem solving skills
Administrative skills
Number skills
Team working
Initiative
Accuracy
Confident telephone skills

Other requirements

Our site is on the edge of the trading estate and is difficult to access via foot. It would be best suited to a car owner (though we would encourage anyone to apply once they've checked out the route).

About this company

Founded in 1983, Cromwell is dedicated to the manufacturing, sourcing, and distribution of products aimed at fostering the preservation, capture, and containment of resources, waste, and recyclables throughout the UK. Our people embody resourcefulness, constantly striving for improvement in all aspects. A Cromwell individual epitomizes passion, positivity, persistence, resilience, and enthusiasm, the core of our Culture of Excellence. What you can expect from Cromwell as your employer: - Open, and honest communication. - We will value your feedback and use it to make decisions that benefit everyone. - A welcoming and productive working environment. - Regular opportunities for personal development. - Clearly defining responsibilities and holding everyone to our standards. - Recognition through a profit share scheme. What Cromwell can expect of you as a team member: - Communicate openly and honestly. - Provide constructive feedback to help improve the company. - Contribute to a welcoming and productive atmosphere. - Actively engage in personal development opportunities. - Take ownership of responsibilities and uphold company standards. - Strive for excellence to earn recognition and profit share.

http://www.cromwellpolythene.co.uk (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

Starting as a Purchasing Apprentice is the perfect foundation for a career in procurement. As you develop skills in supplier management and order coordination, you could progress to roles such as Purchasing Assistant or Junior Buyer, gaining more responsibility in sourcing and cost management. With experience and training, opportunities to become a Purchasing Coordinator or Buyer open up, allowing you to take a more strategic role in procurement processes. With years' experience, you could move into managerial positions, overseeing purchasing operations and supplier relationships, shaping the success of the business.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CROMWELL POLYTHENE LIMITED

Dean Roper

dean.roper@cromwellpolythene.co.uk

01977686846

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000326497.

Apply now

Closes in 16 days (Friday 4 July 2025)

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After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.

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