LoginNATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK: Amy Whyte
From 9-15th February, The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) and Institute of Licensing (IoL) are celebrating National Apprenticeship Week.
As part of NAW2026, we’re hearing directly from some apprentices as they share their stories, experiences, and the skills they’ve gained during their Trading Standards apprenticeship. Meet Amy Whyte.
Supporting the community
Q. Why would you recommend becoming an apprentice?
I would recommend the apprenticeship because it allows you to learn through hands on experiences, giving you the opportunity to see what the job looks like day to day and allows you figure out if the career suits you in practice. This is something I liked about the apprenticeship, going out on different visits and working on various projects helped show me what the job was really like. I feel it helped build my confidence over time and I know now that the career is the right fit for me.
Q. What has surprised you the most about working in Trading Standards?
What surprised me most about working in Trading Standards was how varied the work was. There are so many different opportunities within Trading Standards to get involved in an area that interests you, for example there are working groups in Scotland that generate projects in areas like product safety, metrology and so on. The variety ensures that everyday is different.
Q. How does your role make a difference?
A lot of the work I have been involved in has an impact on people within the community. For example, the work Trading Standards does with underage sales, reduces the risk of young people having access to nicotine or tobacco products. Or the TrueCall units which help protect vulnerable people from potentially being scammed. Most of the work I’ve been involved in has an impact on the community, even if it’s not immediately obvious, the main aims of the work have been about protecting people by stopping breaches.
Q. What does the future look like in your career?
Alongside the apprenticeship, I have started the professional qualification framework with CTSI. Through the apprenticeship I have gained valuable experience for the CTSI qualification, I am able to apply the theory in practice, and it has helped with my understanding of the legislation. The apprenticeship gave me a good starting point, and a clearer picture of what a career in Trading standards would look like as I progress.
So, to conclude, the future in my career looks like completing the apprenticeship, progressing to complete the CTSI professional framework, and then eventually becoming a qualified Trading Standards Officer.
Find out more about apprenticeships here.
