Trading Standards Apprentice

LONDON BOROUGH OF HOUNSLOW; London; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking council as a Level 6 Apprentice Trading Standards Professional. This role offers a unique opportunity to work in a dynamic Trading Standards Service while pursuing a professional qualification. You will be part of a passionate team dedicated to protecting consumers and ensuring compliance with regulations. With comprehensive training and support, you will develop essential skills and make a meaningful impact in your community. If you are self-motivated and eager to learn, this is the perfect opportunity to kickstart your career in public service.

Benefits

Employee Benefits

Training and Development Programs

Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

Qualifications

• Good standard of general education with commitment to study for a professional qualification.
• Ability to interpret complex legislation and regulations.

Responsibilities

• Assist with inspections and investigations related to trading standards.
• Conduct research and produce reports for investigations.
• Engage with stakeholders and educate residents on trading standards.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Communication Skills

IT Proficiency

Research Skills

Education

GCSE Level (Maths and English Grade C or above)

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

Data Management Software

Job description

Full time, Fixed Term Contract until 31/03/2029.

Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow, TW3 3EB.

About us at Hounslow

We’d love you to join us at the London Borough of Hounslow! Our people are deeply committed to providing excellent services to our residents, doing all we can to make lives as good as they can be.

We are an outstanding council, serving an outstanding borough. With brilliant, visionary leadership, a dynamic Cabinet and a can-do culture, we’ve built strong partnerships which have transformed how we serve one of London’s most diverse boroughs. Hounslow is the world in one place and full of potential. We are stepping up for our residents like never before.

About our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

We live by five core values: Lead with Heart, Do New, Pass on the Power, Harness the Mix and Be a Rock. All our work has equality, diversity and inclusion at its very heart, best articulated in “Harness the Mix”. It's about breaking down barriers between our parts and people and unlocking the problem-solving power of our amazing mix of minds. We serve a diverse community, we have a diverse workforce and we are committed to being an inclusive employer.

We work hard to create representation across our workforce and leadership community, we have thriving employee network groups and our learning and development programmes help us lead, model and breathe ways of working that eliminate inequality, inequity, injustice and bias.

As part of this and under our commitments as a Disability Confident Employer, we make reasonable adjustments to accommodate our candidates. There’s space for you to tell us what you need within our application form.

If you join us, you’ll have access to a range of employee benefits. Read more about these here.

About The Role

• We’re looking to recruit the next generation of Trading Standards Officers to join our Hounslow team. Here's your chance to join a dynamic and progressive Trading Standards Service and build a career for life.
• We provide a full training package designed to support you from entry-level to becoming a fully qualified Trading Standards Professional.
• The successful candidate will undertake a CSA Trading Standards Professional Level 6 apprenticeship training programme supported by a skilled and experienced team and have the opportunity to develop professional skills, knowledge, behaviours and work experience within a regulatory setting.
• On completion of the apprenticeship, you will qualify as a Trading Standards Officer capable of working across the full spectrum of disciplines, with a strong emphasis and detailed focus on the law concerning tobacco and nicotine products. It’s a varied and highly rewarding job in public service, where you can make a real difference.

About The Team You’ll Be Working In

As a member of the Trading Standards team, you will:

• Assist with routine inspections, regional and local projects, criminal investigations, and complaints.
• Handle evidence, records, and data with confidentiality and integrity.
• Conduct online open source research, handle intelligence and produce reports in line with investigations.
• Actively take part in multi-agency joint enforcement action, such as under age sales operations of alcohol, tobacco, knives and fireworks, Illegal tobacco operations, using sniffer dogs and the execution of search warrants.
• Assist in the seizing and recording of evidence, preparing criminal prosecution files and giving evidence in court.
• Take samples/test purchases of consumer goods to have them tested in accordance with legal standards.
• Work with partners and stakeholders to protect consumers and businesses from fraudulent activity and scams.
• Investigate rogue traders, doorstep crime to protect the most vulnerable members of our community.
• Provide business support services and general administrative duties.
• Engage with our different stakeholders within the council in teams like Public Health, Licensing, Health & Safety, Food team and Community Safety. Participate in meetings, training, and seminars to improve communication skills
• Actively participate in outreach work; raising awareness within the borough, educating residents and the drafting of communications for campaigns.

About You

We’re seeking a self-motivated and enthusiastic individual to join our Trading Standards Team as a Level 6 Apprentice Trading Standards Professional. This apprenticeship offers a rare opportunity to work, study, and gain practical experience in a customer-focused public service environment.

What We're Looking For:

To be considered, you’ll need a good standard of general education, and the aptitude and commitment to study towards a professional qualification.

You will need:

• You must be committed to complete the 4 year study programme, demonstrating an ambition to develop your career and the capacity to understand and interpret complex legislation.
• Be comfortable using a range of IT packages and software, with an appetite to learn new systems
• Full current driving licence is essential

Qualifications:

• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent with Maths and English Grade C or above
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent.

Essential for The Role:

Enhanced DBS

Read more about the work you’ll be doing in the Role Profile.

To be shortlisted for interview you’ll need to demonstrate how you meet each of the essential criteria in the Role Profile.

Don’t meet every single requirement? We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they think they can’t tick every box. At Hounslow, we realise the ‘perfect candidate’ doesn’t exist. So, if you can do most of what we’re looking for, go ahead and apply. You may be just the right candidate for the job or be perfect for one of our other roles!

Please ensure that you fully answer the mandatory questions on the application form as this is what the recruiting managers will be using to shortlist your application. You should use your previous experiences at school, college, work or in your personal life to give detailed and relevant examples when asked

When Interviews Will Be Held And Who To Contact

The key information you need about the role should be in the job description, but if you have any further questions about the role, please contact Nishi Patel Regulatory Manager Commercial Standards:

Interviews for this job will be held 7th and 8th May 2025.

To apply, please visit our website via the button below.

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