Trading Standards Apprentice
West Sussex County Council
Horsham (RH12 1XH)
Closes in 17 days (Monday 16 March 2026)
Posted on 25 February 2026
Contents
Summary
Join West Sussex County Council as a Trainee Trading Standards Officer, completing a Level 6 apprenticeship while supporting inspections, investigations, test purchases and evidence gathering to protect consumers and uphold fair, safe trading across the county.
- Wage
-
£27,254 a year
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
After completing 12 months of the 36‑month Apprenticeship, you will move to Grade 8 (£32,597 per annum) as a Trading Standards Officer, and your professional training and qualification will continue through the remaining 24 months
- Training course
- Trading standards professional (level 6)
- Hours
-
Full time (Monday - Friday), exact working pattern tbc
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Friday 1 May 2026
- Duration
-
3 years
- Positions available
-
1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
As a Trading Standards Apprentice with West Sussex County Council, you’ll support officers across a range of consumer protection and enforcement activities. Your work will help keep trading across the county fair, safe and legal while you gain hands‑on experience in real investigations and inspections.
- Accompany Trading Standards Officers on visits and inspections
- Carry out test purchases to check legal compliance
- Help gather evidence, including scheduling, handling and recording items
- Assist in taking witness statements during investigations
- Support inspections, sampling and testing at business or farm premises
- Attend court when required to observe or provide evidence
- Use IT systems to record information and complete apprenticeship‑related tasks
- Follow legislation, procedures and professional standards in daily work
- Occasionally handle or move goods or seized evidence
Where you'll work
County Hall North, Parkside
Chart Way
Horsham
RH12 1XH
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
CSA (SERVICES) LTD
Training course
Trading standards professional (level 6)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Lead and manage investigations and interventions.
- Apply investigative techniques and evidence gathering to produce reports with recommendations.
- Analyse, interpret, challenge, and evaluate data and intelligence.
- Interpret and apply relevant Acts, Regulations, Codes of Practice and Guidance in the consumer protection environment.
- Influence, negotiate and challenge stakeholders in the delivery and decision-making process.
- Use research, analytical and problem-solving techniques to resolve and prevent consumer protection issues.
- Conduct and/or respond to formal interviews in line with legal controls and best practice collaborating with legal representatives.
- Gather evidence for use for potential legal proceedings and acting as a witness when required.
- Make legal and tactical decisions to improve the outcomes in consumer protection investigations.
- Promote the improvement of compliance standards in consumer protection.
- Promote social inclusion in the workplace with businesses, stakeholders, and consumers.
- Promote environmental sustainability and support change to improve the environment.
- Lead and manage operational projects to achieve time dependent outcomes.
- Communicate complex information, best practice, and guidance in consumer protection, adapting delivery for different audiences.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to achieve agreed collective outcomes.
- Identify and apply industry developments to achieve continual service improvement.
- Lead the development and monitoring of financial strategies and setting of organisational budgets based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or similar, and challenge financial assumptions underpinning strategies.
- Build constructive working relationships across teams.
- Identify the training and development requirements of the team and stakeholders.
- Set strategic direction through the implementation of plans.
- Lead and respond to risks using risk management techniques.
- Provide support, specialist advice, and guidance for businesses, consumers, and stakeholders.
- Act as an advocate for projects and transformation of services across organisational boundaries such as those impacted by sustainability and the UK Net Carbon Zero.
- Lead and manage investigations and interventions.
- Apply investigative techniques and evidence gathering to produce reports with recommendations.
- Analyse, interpret, challenge, and evaluate data and intelligence.
- Interpret and apply relevant Acts, Regulations, Codes of Practice and Guidance in the consumer protection environment.
- Influence, negotiate and challenge stakeholders in the delivery and decision-making process.
- Use research, analytical and problem-solving techniques to resolve and prevent consumer protection issues.
- Conduct and/or respond to formal interviews in line with legal controls and best practice collaborating with legal representatives.
- Gather evidence for use for potential legal proceedings and acting as a witness when required.
- Make legal and tactical decisions to improve the outcomes in consumer protection investigations.
- Promote the improvement of compliance standards in consumer protection.
- Promote social inclusion in the workplace with businesses, stakeholders, and consumers.
- Promote environmental sustainability and support change to improve the environment.
- Lead and manage operational projects to achieve time dependent outcomes.
- Communicate complex information, best practice, and guidance in consumer protection, adapting delivery for different audiences.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to achieve agreed collective outcomes.
- Identify and apply industry developments to achieve continual service improvement.
- Lead the development and monitoring of financial strategies and setting of organisational budgets based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or similar, and challenge financial assumptions underpinning strategies.
- Build constructive working relationships across teams.
- Identify the training and development requirements of the team and stakeholders.
- Set strategic direction through the implementation of plans.
- Lead and respond to risks using risk management techniques.
- Provide support, specialist advice, and guidance for businesses, consumers, and stakeholders.
- Act as an advocate for projects and transformation of services across organisational boundaries such as those impacted by sustainability and the UK Net Carbon Zero.
Training schedule
The apprenticeship is structured over 36 months of learning, followed by a 5‑month End Point Assessment. You will complete a series of modules that build the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for the Trading Standards Professional standard, supported by tutors and flexible digital learning.
More training information
Your training will be delivered by CSA Learning, an approved apprenticeship provider specialising in compliance and Trading Standards training. All learning is delivered online through workshops, one‑to‑ones and progress reviews via Teams or Zoom.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
A Level in:
Desirable qualifications
Other in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Administrative skills
- Team working
- Initiative
About this employer
West Sussex County Council (WSCC) is a diverse organisation that provides services to more than 850,000 residents every day. Our teams use their experience to enable and challenge the Council to deliver improved efficiency and effectiveness.
https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/ (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
In addition to working within a great team and a brilliant opportunity to start your career in the WSCC Place Directorate, you will receive: a competitive salary, 25-27 days annual leave and a generous pension scheme.
Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
After this apprenticeship
Although there are no guarantees, completion of this apprenticeship would place the successful applicant in a strong position in any suitable recruitment that may take place at the end of the programme.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
West Sussex County Council
Richard Sargeant
Richard.Sargeant@westsussex.gov.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000017725.
Apply now
Closes in 17 days (Monday 16 March 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.