Students and their employers buy into new Procurement Modern Apprenticeship programme

A new Modern Apprenticeship programme which is being offered by Forth Valley College for the first time is proving to be a success for partner firms.

The Engineering Procurement Modern Apprenticeship started in August 2025 and has come to the end of its first year at FVC, and two TechnipFMC apprentices can’t speak highly enough about how it has helped them in their fledgling careers.

Bethanie Brogan (27) from Dunfermline and James Burns (23) from Glenrothes are both Global Sourcing and Procurement with their world wide oil and gas company which specialises in subsea and surface projects and are responsible for designing, building and managing various oil and gas projects.

Bethanie, said: “My role in TechnipFMC consists of sourcing the best suppliers for the products that we need. This involves building relationships with suppliers, understanding the processes and communicating regularly with various departments.

“The Procurement Modern Apprenticeship programme at Forth Valley College has been great! It has really helped me build a better understanding of the sourcing and purchasing process. It has allowed me to understand the technical processes that products go through to give me a better awareness of factors such as lead times, cost and issues that suppliers may face when procuring goods off them.

“Being in the Manufacturing Engineering classes at the College helped me to gain a technical understanding of the processes that the products of TechnipFMC go through, such as machining and inspection. It has also helped me to gain a better knowledge of the quality processes that the products must go through and achieve also.”

To read her full case study click here https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/case-studies/bethanie-brogan-and-james-burns

James, said: “The Procurement MA program at Forth Valley College is an amazing opportunity I have been fortunate to have been granted. This program has allowed me to take my first steps in my career and has allowed me to expand my knowledge and grow in my understanding of my role.

“Both in my SVQ Level 3, and my Manufacturing Engineering course onsite, I have learned a great deal about a wide range of topics relevant to my role at TechnipFMC, and in doing so, I have begun to take on greater responsibility in my workplace and be exposed to a greater number of projects.

“In my SVQ Level 3, I, through research related to my assignments, have acquired a great deal of understanding of various factors related to sourcing and procurement, such as building and managing effective working relationships, and identifying how to analyze my performance and improve my working practices, all of which has greatly helped me in my work at TechnipFMC.

“In my Manufacturing Engineering onsite at the Falkirk Campus, I have been exposed to a great deal of technical knowledge, such as understanding of how lathes work, exposure to CNC machining, understanding of material properties, and much more, and all of this has given me the ability to understand more of how the suppliers I work with at TechnipFMC manufacture the products we utilize.”

To read her full case study click here https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/case-studies/bethanie-brogan-and-james-burns

Abigail Horne who our Category Lead (Sourcing & Procurement) at TechnipFMC, who works closely with both Bethanie and James, said:“We’re incredibly proud of the progress Bethanie and James have made so far during their apprenticeships. Both have shown great commitment, enthusiasm, and a real willingness to learn, making a positive impact on the team from day one.”

Lorraine Kerr, FVC Apprenticeships Officer, said: “I am delighted to work with the team at TechnipFMC on the Procurement Apprenticeship programme which has been tailored to their business needs. Both Bethanie and James have and have excelled since starting their apprenticeship. They benefit from the guidance of excellent mentors on site who provide consistent support and encouragement. It’s pleasure to witness their enthusiasm for developing and applying the skills they are gaining in the workplace.”

Cheryl Sutherland, FVC Multi Discipline Assessor, said: “I too am delighted to be working with TechnipFMC on the new Procurement SVQ Modern Apprenticeship Programme.  This is the first time that FVC have delivered the SVQ and to say that so far it has been a roaring success would be an understatement.  We have recently had our first External Verification visit from Qualifications Scotland and as a Team were absolutely thrilled with the amazing report that we received from our External Verifier – ‘Green across the Board and High Confidence’.  This amazing report did not just recognise the work that FVC staff do, it is also recognised the commitment from both Bethanie and James, and the support being provided by TechnipFMC staff.

“From a personal perspective as Bethanie and Jame’s assessor, all I can say is that they are both fantastic candidates.  They are so committed and are working extremely hard to achieve their SVQ in Procurement, as well as attending College and working at TechnipFMC to learn the skills and gain hands on experience within procurement practices and procedures.  

“Bethanie and James have excellent mentors at TechnipFMC who are ensuring that they get the opportunity to learn about procurement requirements and then put into practice what they have learnt. These opportunities are enabling them both to build an amazing portfolio of work-related evidence for their SVQ, this was commented on by our External Verifier.
 
“I look forward to a continued working professional and successful relationship with TechnipFMC, and wish Bethanie and James good luck with their Procurement Modern Apprenticeship Programme.  I am very confident that they will both achieve what they have set out to do.”

For more information on FVC Apprenticeships visit https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/apprenticeships