Trading standards officer : Entry requirements

The most direct entry route is via a degree accredited by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) , and then a trainee trading standards officer (TSO) post.

The following organisations provide TSI-accredited courses:

• Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU)  
• Cardiff Metropolitan University  
• University of Teesside  
• Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh  

Local authorities sometimes sponsor students on these courses.

Accredited degrees provide potential exemptions from certain aspects of the Trading Standards Qualification Framework (TSQF) . You will need to provide the TSI education and training team with a copy of your degree certificate and results transcript. Further details of the TSI exemption policy are available on the TSI website.

It is also possible to enter a career in trading standards without a degree, via the TSQF, which allows trainees to combine study with paid employment and to undertake the various levels of training in accordance with their existing qualifications and experience and the needs of the employer. Operated by the TSI, the framework offers professional qualifications at five levels:

• Certificate of Competence;
• Foundation Certificate in consumer Affairs and Trading Standards (FCATS);
• Diploma in Consumer Affairs and Trading Standards (DCATS);
• Higher Diploma in Consumer Affairs and Trading Standards (HDCATS).

The minimum entry requirements for the FCATS are typically five GCSEs and two A-levels (or equivalent), while an applicant who has completed a TSI-recognised degree will be exempt from some of the foundation examinations, depending on the pass mark achieved and demonstration of equivalence between the degree module and FCATS examination. The exemption procedure is described in detail on the TSI website. Job changers are also welcome and there are no upper age limits to entry.

Candidates will need to show evidence of the following:

• excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to talk to people from many different backgrounds;
• evidence of competent analytical and investigative skills and keen observation;
• good practical ability;
• the ability to organise and manage projects;
• competence in using IT and dealing with statistics;
• a full driving licence.

As TSOs are required to enforce the law, an understanding of the implications of regulation on business is essential. They also need to be able to be diplomatic, firm and resilient in order to cope with occasional aggression.

For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.