THE OPSS REGULATORY ENFORCEMENT TRAINEE PROGRAMME

 Applications for the 2025 cohort are now open!

About OPSS:

We are the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), and we are the UK’s national product regulator, within the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). Our primary purpose is to protect people and places from product-related harm. From product design and manufacture through to sale and disposal we have a role in the products lifecycle, ensuring consumers and businesses can buy and sell products with confidence.

OPSS is split across four impact areas: Regulation, Enabling, Evidence, and Policy. Our Enforcement Teams form part of the Regulation Impact Area and are responsible for ensuring that businesses comply with a wide range of product regulations. Our mission is to help protect people and the environment, and we do this by enforcing regulations which means supporting businesses into compliance and taking enforcement action where necessary.

The Regulatory Enforcement Trainee Programme:

We regularly recruit new cohorts of the Regulatory Enforcement Trainee Programme to join the Regulation Impact Area. As part of this role, you will be required to undertake the Level 4 RCO Apprenticeship, which is a nationally recognised standard, that will provide you with new skills and real-world experience to apply to your job role.

Our 2-year trainee programme is designed to set you up for success. From day one, you’ll be in a permanent position with us at the Executive Officer (EO) level. But that’s not all, after you complete the apprenticeship and have gained practical experience, you’ll also be able to apply for more senior roles giving you the chance to grow and develop your career further.

 

 

 

What you will be doing as an Enforcement Trainee:

This is an exciting opportunity to work in a dynamic and varied role as part of a high-profile national regulator. You will be:

  • Rotating across 3 different teams; providing you with the chance to broaden your experience and develop your career.
  • Part of our Trainee Programme, studying for a Level 4 Regulatory Compliance Officer Apprenticeship. Our apprentices are our future enforcement officers and leaders.
  • Gaining the continual professional development to ensure you are equipped with the skills and knowledge to be an effective regulator.
  • Working with businesses to help them understand the regulations and provide them with the correct advice and support.
  • Conduct risk assessments on the level of harm to people or places to determine the best course of action. This could be in response to an issue or complaint, or as part of a project.
  • Investigating businesses and products for reported non-compliance and taking enforcement action where necessary, following the required processes and procedures.
  • Communicating with businesses and our partner organisations, to solve problems and resolve any issues of non-compliance.
  • Reading and understanding written documents and data and write reports following inspections or projects.
  • Working with colleagues in our Enforcement Teams and across the organisation, to share information and find ways to increase our impact.                               

Case Studies

Hear from our current and previous enforcement trainees about their experience on the programme:

 

 

I started at OPSS in February 2019 as an Enforcement Trainee, having come from a Claims Management regulator. Since joining, I have worked on 3 different teams and worked on a large number of projects and workstreams – but one thing has been constant – I have never been short of new learning opportunities, from ‘the early days’ of completing my apprenticeship course, while learning the product safety regulations, through to completing the Enforcement Investigation Skills Training Course. The rich and varied learning opportunities I have been afforded have undoubtedly helped me in my day-to-day work but also helped me to progress within the organisation and become more capable within my role.

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OPSS and my apprenticeship has awakened my potential and the skills and qualities that I never thought I had within me. I was most amazed by the encouragement and the available much sought-after learning opportunities. I am also impressed with the fact that I can approach anyone, and they will listen to my concern and help me. My first rotation was with the Timber team, but it doesn’t feel that I’ve ever left, as we all still help each other and have lunches together. I’ve worked on several casefiles whilst on the Timber team, and now I am completing my own project with the current Eco Design team.

My apprenticeship has proven to be very effective. I have managed to work through different units and have gained pre-eminent knowledge and skills, which helps my daily work. For instance, we have covered risk assessment, inspection, effective communication, non-compliance, and sanction. It has expanded my understanding of my organisation, the partner organisation, and businesses. We have over 20 assignments to undergo during these 15 months and to do that we need to undertake plenty of research and seek help from our colleagues.

Rotations are best for my learning process.  They have helped me in learning the technicality of becoming a competent regulator, as well as getting to know more of my colleagues, engaging with different businesses, and learning from others, as everyone has their own method.  It is fantastic that we get to do all of this in 18 months! I feel very fortunate that I can meet the warmest colleagues and get to know their kindness.

I believe an apprenticeship is the most logical path to success in this role!

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The Enforcement Trainee Programme is a fantastic way to explore the wide range of work done by the Office for Product and Standards (OPSS), while building the skills and experience needed to become a confident and capable regulator. In just my first 10 months, I’ve worked on regulations covering everything from electronic waste recycling to timber imports and EV charge points. One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of is leading my own investigations early on and seeing the real impact on improving business compliance. I’ve developed valuable skills, like assessing how best to apply regulatory powers in line with the five principles of good regulation and gained a strong foundation in good regulatory practice. OPSS offers a unique perspective by both developing and delivering regulations, helping you understand how legislation is designed and applied in practice. What I enjoy most is working with and learning from colleagues with such a wide range of backgrounds and experiences—it’s been one of the most rewarding parts of the apprenticeship.

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Additonal information

Read the Regulatory Compliance Officer Trainee Programme: Information and Eligibility Pack: RCO Apprenticeship Information (1) (1)

Read the Flyer from Babington, our apprenticeship provider, on what the course itself will involve: Regulatory-Compliance-Officer-Level-4-Overview (1)

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Interested in a career in enforcement? Curious about the Enforcement Trainee Programme?

We will be hosting a virtual Open Evening on Thursday 7th August, 2025, where you’ll learn all about the programme, what life is like as a trainee, and how the application process works. Whether you’re just exploring your options or ready to apply, this session will give you the insights you need.

Please register your interest here

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  1. Complete an online application form on Civil Service Jobs.
  2. Complete the Civil Service Judgement Tests and Numeracy and Literacy Tests.
  3. Should you successfully pass these tests, you’ll then be invited to complete your Personal Statement and respond to a Technical Statement which will then be used to sift candidates based on the behaviours required for the role. Check Personal Statement Guidance for useful hints and tips.
  4. If your application is selected for the next stage, you’ll then be invited to the Assessment Centre, which is an in-person event where you’ll be required to complete several activities to demonstrate your skills.
  5. If you pass the Assessment Centre, you’ll then be invited to the final stage of the application process which is an individual interview.
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1.How long is the programme?

a) This is a 2-year trainee programme, and during which you will complete an 18-month apprenticeship.

2. How will I be assessed during the apprenticeship?

a) 15-month programme + 3-month End Point Assessment (EPA). The EPA consists of 3 assessments.

3. What are the different teams I will rotate around?

a) You’ll do 3 rotations throughout your time on the apprenticeship which could include any of the below:

    1. Product Safety
    2. Batteries
    3. Ports, Incidents and Investigations
    4. Online Regulation
    5. Construction Products
    6. Eco-design and Energy Labelling.

4.What opportunities can I go into once I’ve completed the trainee programme?

a) As well as having a permanent role at an EO grade, at OPSS you will have opportunities to enable you to n progress your career and develop the skills and experience to become a senior regulatory officer.

5.What are the eligibility requirements?

a) You will need to have GCSE English and Maths, or equivalent, in order to complete the apprenticeship.

b) If you do not already have this, or equivalent, you will need to achieve functional skills Level 2 qualifications in Maths and English as part of your apprenticeship programme. You will be supported to achieve them, but studying will need to be done outside of work time.

6.How is the apprenticeship delivered?

a)You will spend 20% of your contracted working hours dedicated to your apprenticeship. Your learning will be provided by a mix of virtual workshops, online learning, assignments and meetings with tutors.

7. If you have any other questions, please email us at [email protected]

 

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