Learning and Development at the CPL Group

One of numerous attractive facets of a career with the CPL Group is our proactive approach to learning and development, providing our people with educational and vocational growth opportunities.

The Group has established and maintained a strong and proven ‘grow your own’ ethos and is persistently eager to back its staff each step on their professional development pathways.

Offering colleagues time, support and options to plot their best foot forward, our words are robustly backed by our actions, including the access to a generous personal training budget.

Investing in employees above and beyond their monthly salaries, this priceless funding lets members of the CPL Group team acquire door-opening qualifications and accrue new skills in the job.

As a result, recruits can unlock potential and grow within their role, making any CPL Group career as much of a journey as a destination - and one where staff can steer the course.

An employer of specialist procurement staff based across the United Kingdom, the Group has supported a host of colleagues through their CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply) qualifications, with further funded exams in 2023.

Approaching the completion of his six-level CIPS programme, Senior Procurement Officer Myles Woodman revealed how the Group supported him with his CIPS qualifications, as well as "the challenges you encounter whilst working a full-time job and studying at the same time”, adding “the Group are proud to see their staff attain their MCIPS (Member of the CIPS) status and celebrate when people reach this milestone”.

Notably, development opportunities are not limited to those in procurement roles, with the Group able to initiate training across a range of broader fields, including Finance, Compliance, Software & IT, Sales & Marketing and Leadership & Management.

Among added initiatives, staff have been able to train as Mental Health First Aiders to provide potentially invaluable help, advice and direction to colleagues, with applicable learning and development resources accessible via an active staff intranet platform.

From soft skills to specialisms, the CPL Group can serve as an effective facilitator of personal and professional growth, with paid study leave one of the various accessible staff benefits.

Existing in the education sphere, it is only fitting the Group places an emphasis on education and, whether inspiring our team via EDI awareness, informing the 1,000+ CPC members of a beneficial upcoming webinar or directing visitors to CPL Learning and its bank of online resources, our learning mentality extends both to and beyond those who work for us.

For 2023, the CPL Group has scheduled Procurement Advisory Group (PAG) and/or Further Education Facilities Management Network (FEFMN) groups around the UK and online, enabling the pooling of knowledge and empowering self-education, in turn.

Elsewhere, multiple members of staff have advanced to senior Procurement Manager titles for 2023, backed by the safety net of learning and development help the Group continues to offer.

Moreover, a hat-trick of employees recently made the shortlist for the 2023 Made in Manchester Awards, with the CPL Group having served as their advocates in nomination.

Managing Director, Darren Lowe commented: “The CPL Group work environment is set for ambitious individuals to develop themselves in a rewarding career. We heavily invest in the principles of training for all and work hard to develop a culture in which you’re empowered to do the best job possible. I’m delighted we can help support our people”.

Certified as a Great Place to Work, a recent consultation of employees saw an overwhelming 97% say they had been offered learning and development opportunities at the CPL Group.

From 1 August 2022 to 31 July 2023, the Group has invested circa £40,000 in learning and development, with more than 1,500 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

 Want to learn and develop with us? Discover our latest roles at cpl.group/vacancies