13 April 2006 | Rebecca Ellinor

HM Prison Service is targeting career fairs in a bid to attract graduates to procurement.

It is part of a restructuring programme led by Vincent Godfrey, head of procurement. He hopes to appoint 78 qualified purchasers this year for five new regional teams, as previously reported by SM (News, 5 January).

A number of senior positions have already been filled, but Godfrey wants the department to look for "bright new talent" to fill 25 of the vacant posts.

He hopes to have made 15 appointments by June and a further 10 by January 2007. Recruits will be taken through a two-year training programme and work alongside experienced practitioners.

"We're saying experience is expensive, so we're looking for people with aptitude, enthusiasm and a strong work ethic," Godfrey told SM.

"Part of the procurement strategy is staffing in the short and long term. We knew it would be problematic - we're not the best payers - but we offer well-structured training and development, with the opportunity to work on large contracts at a young age with less experience than elsewhere. That's our marketing strategy."

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