Trading Standards Professional Apprentice
Thurrock Council
Essex (RM17 6SL)
Closes in 20 days (Sunday 1 February 2026)
Posted on 8 January 2026
Contents
Summary
This apprenticeship would suit anyone looking for a career in Trading Standards, whether you’re a school leaver or looking for a career change. Being part of a friendly and supportive Trading Standards Team with a varied and interesting workload in enforcement activities ensuring unsafe and illicit goods are not being sold.
- Wage
-
£14,526.20 to £23,492.04, depending on your age
National Minimum Wage
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Pay will be National Minimum Wage according to your age
- Training course
- Trading standards professional (level 6)
- Hours
-
37 hours per week. Normal working hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday and 9am to 4.30pm, Fridays with a 30-minute lunch break.
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 30 March 2026
- Duration
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4 years
- Positions available
-
2
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
You’ll be part of the Trading Standards team who are friendly and supportive and will offer a varied and interesting workload. No two days are ever the same. You’ll be provided with a wide variety of work experience opportunities to demonstrate proficiency in a number of enforcement activities as required by the qualification.
The Trading Standards Team enforce various laws in relation to consumer protection to ensure that members of the public are not ripped off by unscrupulous traders and ensure unsafe or illegal items are not being sold. This really is your opportunity to start an exciting and varied career where you will make a huge difference to the Thurrock Community.
In this type of role, you will be performing a variety of duties, but your main responsibilities will include:
- Supporting Trading Standards Officers with their enforcement actions
- Advising business and consumers on Trading Standards legislation
- Study for the L6 Trading Standards Professional Apprenticeship
Where you'll work
Civic Offices
New Road
Grays
Essex
RM17 6SL
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
You will study towards the Level 6 Trading Standards Practitioner Apprenticeship and will be practising the skills learned in your day-to-day job. You’ll be provided with a wide variety of work experience opportunities to demonstrate proficiency in a number of enforcement activities as required by the qualification.
Although our office base is at the Civic Offices, New Road, Grays, Essex, there will be a requirement to work from home and out on site. Training will mainly take place at the Civic Offices, but you may be asked to attend an alternative training facility from time to time.
Apprenticeship study will be undertaken within normal working hours however there is an expectation that some study will be done in your own time. Time will be allocated to attend training and complete assignments, workbooks, online training etc. as required by the qualification.
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE 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
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Team working
- Initiative
About this employer
Our vision – An ambitious and collaborative community which is proud of its heritage and excited by its diverse opportunities and future. Thurrock Council is committed to equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident Employer, disabled people will be offered an interview where they meet all essential criteria on the person specification. We champion flexible working and job share applications are welcome. We serve a diverse community where people are different yet equal. Diversity underpins everything we do.
http://thurrock.gov.uk/jobs (opens in new tab)
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
At the end of your apprenticeship, you will be supported to further your career.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
CSA (SERVICES) LTD
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000007651.
Apply now
Closes in 20 days (Sunday 1 February 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.