Popular HSV Certificate IV procurement course returns

HSV is delighted to once again be offering a Certificate IV in Procurement and Contracting course to the health sector.

First held in August 2022 as a pilot, the course was spearheaded by HSV to help improve procurement and contracting skills and knowledge in the health sector.

In 2024, we partnered with the Australian Centre for Financial and Environmental Compliance (ACFEC) to deliver the course online to 48 health service employees from across Victoria. Students were taught essential skills in health services procurement. Topics were all aligned with HSV’s Purchasing Policies and included understanding and complying with legislation, managing procurement risks, conducting market research, and developing internal and external networks.

The course has proved to be highly popular – when we first opened the 2024 enrolment portal all places were filled in just 90 minutes, testament to the enthusiasm for developing procurement knowledge in the sector. Participants also expressed satisfaction for the courses, with a survey following the course garnering a 96 per cent satisfaction score. Ninety-four students have graduated from the course since it commenced.

Narelle Grieve, Contracts and Procurement Advisor at Latrobe Regional Hospital, completed the course in 2024. Narelle appreciated the valuable background and insight into procurement requirements for health services.  

“Its relevance to daily procurement practices made the content directly applicable to my role,” Narelle reports.

“A particular highlight was the opportunity to work in small groups, which fostered meaningful networking between metro and regional health services, allowing us to learn from and support each other in this specialised field.”   

Another positive outcome of the course was the benefits it could offer a health service beyond the development of individual participants.

“The course has enhanced my procurement knowledge, which I’m now able to share within my own health service and apply to regional invitation to supply initiatives across Gippsland,” Narelle says.

HSV has announced to the Victorian health sector that the Certificate IV course will run again in 2026, starting in February. The course will be delivered by ACFEC again to 4 cohorts of 12 students each, with each course running for 8 days over 8 weeks.

“We are delighted to be able to offer the course again and continue to build procurement and contracting confidence and skills in public health services all across the state,” says Sarah Bryant, HSV’s Chief Procurement Officer.

“There are significant demands on the health sector to achieve cost benefits through procurement. The Certificate IV course arms participants with the capability to do this, along with an understanding of the extensive legislative requirements that health services must comply with,” Sarah says.

HSV is supporting Victoria’s health procurement knowledge and expertise by subsidising the cost of the procurement course for public health services.

You can find more information about the course and how to enrol on our website.