What to expect from a career as a Purchaser or Buyer
To maximize profit and stay ahead of the competition, businesses must continually update their processes and operations. To do this, they need professionals who can help them find the best prices for the goods and services they use or resell. Ontario college purchasing programs provide students with the business background and supply chain management and operations skills needed to succeed in this specialized career.
If you’re interested in business management and want a career as a purchaser or buyer, here’s what you need to know.
Purchasing Courses
Purchasing programs at Ontario colleges focus on preparing students to negotiate prices and work out contracts for companies who provide services or manufacture or sell goods. Students will learn to research quality, price, reliability and other important factors in examining potential suppliers. Emphasis will also be placed on operations and supply chain management practices and processes.
Aside from specialized courses in purchasing, courses cover business math, finance, computers, and professional writing and presentation skills. Since there are many management opportunities in the purchasing industry, these fundamental courses are vital to prepare students to work in advanced roles.
General Purchasing Program Requirements
Ontario college purchasing programs require an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, including a grade 12 English and grade 11 or 12 math credit.
Purchasing Jobs and Salaries
As a graduate of a purchasing program, your career opportunities include purchasing agent, procurement analyst, inventory control specialist, material controller, operations coordinator and more. These purchaser and buyer positions offer diverse responsibilities, including (but not limited to):
- Researching suppliers
- Issuing purchase orders, tenders and contracts
- Developing and overseeing strategic operational and business plans
- Analyzing sales
- Implementing more effective supply chain processes
The average starting salary for purchasers is around $35,000 per year. With expertise, salaries may go as high as $70,000 or more.
Ontario Colleges Offering Purchasing Programs
Use the left-column navigation to refine your search by College, Program Availability, Program Start Date and more, or see the table below for a complete list of purchasing programs at Ontario colleges.
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