Location: Kendal, Penrith or Barrow (including agile working and working from home)
Contract Type: Permanent
About this opportunity
Kick-start your career in consumer protection, regulation and enforcement and make a real impact by joining us as a Trainee Trading Standards Officer.
The government is funding this exciting new apprenticeship to inspire talented individuals to join the profession and train to become a Trading Standards Officer. You'll get paid to train while helping enforce important new laws on cigarettes, tobacco, and vapes—plus gain experience across a broad range of Trading Standards work.
When you pass the Apprenticeship and further associated professional qualifications, you will progress through the career grade to become a fully qualified Trading Standards Officer, where you can expect to earn a salary of more than £43,000.
What are each of the levels within the Career Grade?
Entry level: Trainee Trading Standards Officer (Entry Level) - Salary: Grade 7 - £27,711 to £28,624
The postholder will progress to the Intermediate level once they have passed the Level 6 Trading Standards Professional Apprenticeship (Tobacco and Vapes Legislation).
Intermediate level: Trainee Trading Standards Officer (Intermediate) - Salary: Grade 10 - £35,235 to £36,124
The postholder will be expected to enrol onto professional training to become a qualified Trading Standards Officer (Weights and Measures Unit and one another statutory specialist unit such as Feed or Food Standards listed in the CTSI Trading Standards Practitioner Diploma).
Final level: Trading Standards Officer - Salary: Grade 14 - £43,693 to £44,711
The postholder will progress to the Final level when they are fully qualified following the successful completion of their professional training, and when they meet the essential criteria in the Trading Standards Officer post specification.
About the apprenticeship
The apprenticeship is fully funded by the Department of Health and Social Care for a period of 4 years. You will focus on tackling illegal and underage sales as well as supporting businesses to achieve compliance across a vast range of tobacco and vapes regulations designed to protect consumers and in particular children, while at the same time, working to gain a Level 6 professional qualification, across all areas of Trading Standards activity.
The successful candidate will need to be in post no later than the start of September 2025 in order to join one of the apprenticeship cohorts at Credit Services Association (CSA).
What is Trading Standards?
Trading Standards is about keeping people safe and making sure businesses follow the rules. The service helps protect the public from unsafe products, scams, and dishonest traders. At the same time, it supports fair and legal businesses so they can grow and succeed. Officers in Trading Standards do lots of different things—like checking shops are not selling illegal or unsafe items, making sure food is labelled correctly, and helping stop fraud. They work with over 200 different laws that cover things like product safety, fair pricing, weights and measures, and protecting the environment.
To find out more about a career in Trading Standards, please also take a look at:
Who we are looking for…
We’re looking for a motivated and adaptable individual with a genuine interest in consumer protection and fair trading. You should have a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent Level 3 qualifications), along with five GCSEs at grade C / 4 or above, including Maths and English.
Strong ICT and Excel skills are essential, as well as the ability to quickly learn new systems. You’ll need to be organised, able to manage competing priorities, and work well as part of a team.
Excellent communication skills are key, as you'll be engaging with a range of people in different settings. A commitment to personal development is important, including completing the Level 6 Trading Standards Professional Apprenticeship (Tobacco and Vapes Legislation) and an additional specialist module aligned with service needs.
You must not currently be employed in Trading Standards, not already have or be part way through any Trading Standards qualifications and must not have achieved a Regulatory Compliance Officer apprenticeship.
What can we offer you!
Working at Westmorland and Furness Council you will receive a variety of benefits, including a competitive pension scheme, enhanced annual leave allowance and other various perks and discounts schemes. For more information about life at Westmorland and Furness Council and what we can offer you, please visit our Careers site - Our benefits | Careers
Would you like to find out more?
For further information about this Career Grade opportunity, such as responsibilities and essential criteria please view the below attachments:
Entry Level: Trainee Trading Standards Officer (Entry Level)
Intermediate Level: Trainee Trading Standards Officer (Intermediate)
Final Level: Trading Standards Officer
If you have any queries or would like an informal discussion about this opportunity, then please contact Catherine Hornby, Trading Standards Manager by email at catherine.hornby@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.
Application and Interview information
Closing date: 13 July 2025
Interviews: W/C 21 July 2025
We are currently operating both in-person and virtual interviews. Options will be discussed with candidates once they have been invited to the interview stage of the process for this specific position, and if you have any concerns or adjustments are needed, we are happy to discuss this with you.
Westmorland and Furness Council are now able to offer sponsorship for Skilled Worker Visa applications for eligible roles. Please note, we cannot guarantee the eligibility of all of our roles, therefore, if you would like more information on roles that may be eligible please visit the government website - Skilled Worker visa: eligible occupations and codes - GOV.UK
Safer Recruitment & DBS
At Westmorland and Furness Council we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and we expect all workers, employees and volunteers to share our commitment.
This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 and requires an enhanced DBS check with a Children Barred List check.
Please note this role involves working in regulated activity with children. It is an offence for people who are barred from working in regulated activity to apply for roles that require them to work unsupervised with children.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Westmorland and Furness Council is committed to improving the diversity of its workforce to better reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and work to promote an inclusive, supportive culture that values and celebrates our differences.
As a Disability Confident Leader, disabled applicants, who meet the essential criteria of this job, are guaranteed an interview.
We also offer guaranteed interviews to Armed Forces personnel and veterans and those in care or care experienced and under 24 years old, that meet the essential criteria for the role
