SEVERN TRENT
Young Person Procurement and Contract Management, Work Experience Placement - Coventry, 19th-22nd Oc
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Young Person Procurement and Contract Management, Work Experience Placement – Coventry, 19th-22nd October 2026
Location:
Severn Trent Centre, 2 St John's Street, Coventry, CV1 2LZ
Date:
Monday 19th - Thursday 22nd October (4-days)
Who it's for:
Students with an interest in business, problem solving, supply chains, engineering, finance, sustainability, or understanding how large organisations operate!
Curious about how companies buy the products and services they need? Have you ever wondered how a company decides:
- Which suppliers to work with?
- How to get the best value for money?
- How contracts are managed?
- How critical infrastructure projects are delivered?
This work experience placement will give you the opportunity to explore the world of Procurement and Contract Management at Severn Trent, one of the UK's largest water and wastewater companies.
You'll spend four days working alongside commercial professionals, learning how major business decisions are made and seeing how procurement helps keep essential services running for millions of customers every day.
This is not just about listening to presentations. Throughout the week, you'll take part in practical activities, meet experienced professionals, and develop skills that are valuable in almost any future career.
What you'll be doing:
Day 1: Welcome to Severn Trent
Kick off the week by getting to know Severn Trent, the Procurement & Contract Management team, and the important role they play within the business.
You'll:
- Meet members of the team.
- Learn how Severn Trent provides services to millions of customers.
- Discover what procurement and contract management actually involve.
- Complete a short introduction activity to help build confidence and presentation skills.
- Understand the different career paths available within commercial teams.
Day 2: Become a Procurement Professional
Put yourself in the shoes of a category manager. Using information based on a buying requirement, you'll explore:
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- How suppliers are assessed.
- Why price isn't the only thing that matters.
- The importance of sustainability and social value.
- Managing business risk.
- How organisations make commercial decisions.
You'll analyse information, develop recommendations, and experience the type of thinking and decision-making that procurement professionals use every day.
Day 3: Behind the Contract
Winning a contract is only the beginning. You'll learn how businesses work with suppliers after contracts are awarded to ensure they deliver value, quality, and excellent service.
Topics may include:
- Building supplier relationships.
- Measuring supplier performance.
- Managing risk.
- Solving commercial challenges.
- Delivering long-term value.
Day 4: Seeing It in Action
Subject to operational availability, you'll visit either Finham Water Treatment Works or Derby Water Treatment Works.
This is your chance to see how the products, services and contracts managed by procurement teams help support real operational sites.
You'll gain a better understanding of:
- How water treatment sites operate.
- The scale of Severn Trent's infrastructure.
- How commercial decisions support operational teams.
- The wide range of careers available across the business.
Skills you'll develop:
During the week you'll have the opportunity to build skills that employers look for, including:
- Communication and presentation skills
- Problem solving and critical thinking
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Commercial awareness
- Confidence and professionalism
- Analysis and decision making
- Stakeholder management
What we expect from you:
This placement is designed to give you a genuine insight into professional life.
Throughout the week you'll meet experienced colleagues and senior leaders from across the business, including Strategy Leads, Business Leads and other specialists who are volunteering their time to support your development.
Because of this, we ask that students:
- Arrive on time and ready to participate.
- Be engaged throughout the week.
- Ask questions and be curious.
- Listen respectfully to others.
- Take ownership of activities and tasks.
- Be willing to step outside their comfort zone.
- Show enthusiasm and professionalism.
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This is a real working environment where teams are responsible for important business decisions and delivering critical services to customers. Students are expected to be excited to learn, contribute to discussions, and make the most of the opportunity.
Why apply?
If you're interested in understanding how businesses operate, enjoy solving problems, and want to gain experience that will strengthen your future university, apprenticeship or job applications, then this placement is for you.
By the end of the week, you'll have gained an insight into an exciting career area that many people never discover at school, while also developing valuable skills that can be applied to almost any profession.
Important Notice – Research Trial Participation
This work experience opportunity is part of a research trial being conducted by Severn Trent in partnership with Ipsos and the Youth Futures Foundation. The trial aims to understand how work experience impacts young people’s skills and future career outcomes. By applying for this placement, you are also consenting to take part in the research trial. This involves your application data being used for research purposes and you may be invited to complete short surveys or interviews (participation in these is optional).
If you are under 16 years old, you must upload a signed parental consent form with your application for it to be considered.
You will be asked to confirm you have attached your parental consent in the application; Consent will be verified and check before approving your eligibility.
See website for additional information, you must consent to take part in our work experience programme.
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