LoginNATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK: Bohir Saiq
From 9-15 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 Bohir Saiq.
Valuable hands-on experience
Q. Why would you recommend becoming an apprentice?
One of the main reasons I would recommend apprenticeships is because you earn a salary whilst gaining practical skills and a qualification. I find this to be great because I am developing valuable hands-on experience, which may have been difficult to do if I chose to go university after high school, which would have also made me have student debt.
Furthermore, during sixth form, I found it difficult to learn theoretically, just by sitting down and revising a textbook, this is why Apprenticeships also interested me, because I now gain a large sum of knowledge and skills from working with my colleagues.
Q. What has surprised you the most about working in Trading Standards?
One of my biggest surprises was the variety work and tasks that me and my team would be dealing with. Investigating scams, counterfeit-goods and product safety has been interesting, and not something I really expected when I started Trading Standards.
Another factor that was surprising for me was seeing the amount of collaborations with other bodies such as the police, to make sure our work is successful.
Q. How does your role make a difference?
Being a Trading Standards officer means playing a critical role in protecting consumers, for example, from dangerous products, which if not checked can cause injuries, fires or even fatalities. Even with scams, they can cause great financial harm, and emotional distress, so saving consumers from losing their money is pivotal, especially for vulnerable groups in society.
So being able to help these individuals to the best of our ability makes a major difference to the public, from a personal and financial perspective. As well as protecting the public, we also support legitimate businesses, by removing their unfair competition and stopping illegal practices by other businesses, allowing honest businesses to be even more successful.
Q. What does the future look like in your career?
With online shopping and e-commerce booming, the future of Trading Standards will most definitely be dealing with more online scams, fake websites and counterfeit goods sold through social media. I am excited for what Trading Standards will be like later in my career, as our work can depend on trends in society, for example Labubu Toys which went viral recently. It’s overall very exciting because it can always be changing.
Find out more about apprenticeships here.
