The content of this Pathway has been agreed by the Regulatory Compliance Steering Group with representation from public and private sector employers, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. This is the only Apprenticeship Pathway in the Regulatory Compliance sector approved for use in Wales that is eligible for Medr funding.
Learning Programme Content
The Learning Programme provision shall comprise of three mandatory elements:
Qualifications,
Essential Skills
On/off the job training
The Qualification is a Level 4 Diploma in Regulatory Compliance accredited by Agored Cymru.
The total minimum credit value required for the Level 4 Pathway in Regulatory Compliance is 59 credits.
Entry requirements
There are no formal entry requirements for this pathway. However, many employers will expect a high standard of literacy and numeracy
e.g. GCSE grades A* to D, A Levels or a proven ability to work at this level, such as experience gained through employment or voluntary work.
Apprenticeship pathway learning programme(s)
Level 4: Regulatory Compliance
Level 4: Regulatory Compliance Qualifications
Participants must achieve the following combined qualification below.
| Diploma in Regulatory Compliance | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awarding Body | Qualification No. | Credit Value | Total Qualification Time | Combined / Competence / Knowledge | Qualification Assessment Lanaguage(s) |
| Agored Cymru | C00/4997/7 | 59 | 590 | Combined | English -Welsh |
Please see Annex 1 for the relationship between the competence and knowledge units within the combined qualification.
Essential Skills Wales (ESW)
| Level 4: Regulatory Compliance | Level | Minimum Credit Value |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 2 | 6 |
| Application of number | 2 | 6 |
Essential Skills Wales qualifications assessment languages are English-Welsh
On/Off the Job training
| Pathway | Minimum On the Job Training Hours | Minimum Off the Job Training Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Level 4: Regulatory Compliance | 330 | 260 |
On/Off the Job Qualification details (Minimum Credit & Hours)
Combined qualification - 59 credits. The total amount of training hours - which includes both on and off-the-job learning for this Pathway is 590 training hours.
On/Off the Job Essential Skills details (Minimum Credit & Hours)
6 credits / 60 Guided Learning Hours Level 2 Essential Skills Wales Communication
6 credits / 60 Guided Learning Hours Level 2 Essential Skills Wales Application of Number
Other additional requirements
Learners will be asked to:
Declare any criminal convictions or cautions at the time of registration onto the Regulatory Compliance qualification
Comply with the pre-employment checks of the employing organisation
Job roles
The Regulatory Compliance apprenticeship provides a route of entry to a spectrum of regulatory delivery roles in both the public and private sectors. It has been designed to provide the underpinning skills, knowledge and behaviours (competencies) required of all those wishing to work in any professional role where regulatory compliance oversight is required. Upon completion of the apprenticeship, participants will have the transferable skills needed to work in any regulatory/ compliance-based field.
Within the public sector, a range of professionals ensure regulatory compliance is secured across a number of different functions. Within local authorities, these disciplines include Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Licensing, as well as environmental enforcement in areas such as Waste Management. Likewise, national regulators ensure regulatory compliance, for example the Food Standards Agency and Natural Resources Wales.
The apprenticeship provides a pathway to a rewarding career in one of the broad sectors above. Following further study and appropriate experience, example roles may include:
Trading Standards Officer
Environmental Health Officer
Licensing Enforcement Officer
Environmental Crime Enforcement Officer
In the private sector, regulatory compliance officers play an important role in supporting compliance activities, overseeing the integrity of supply chains, and liaising with frontline regulators.
Progression
Entry into the Regulatory Compliance apprenticeship may be:
Via direct entry from school or college
From a Welsh Baccalaureate
Via direct entry – including for those already familiar with the sector.
Progression routes
The Chartered professional institutes for Trading Standards and Environmental Health recognise the importance of apprenticeships as pathways into careers in these fields and ultimately chartered practitioner status. Both Institutes have played an integral role in the development of this Regulatory Compliance apprenticeship for Wales.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute for example has already mapped the equivalent apprenticeship available in England into its Professional Competency Framework. This arrangement then provides certain exemptions towards the Trading Standards professional qualification. The Institute intends to map the Level 4 qualification at the heart of the Wales Regulatory Compliance apprenticeship in the same way, thereby facilitating the ability to fast track those successfully completing the apprenticeship towards the goal of full professional qualification.
Environmental Health degree courses are available at centres across the UK (including at Cardiff) and it is hoped that in time, a degree level apprenticeship pathway can also be established.
Equality and diversity
It is important that apprenticeship Pathways are inclusive and can demonstrate an active approach to identifying and removing barriers to entry and progression. Pathways should advance equality of opportunity between persons who share protected characteristics and those persons who do not as identified in the Equality Act 2010.
The protected characteristics identified in the Equality Act are age, disability, gender re-assignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity. Marriage and civil partnership is also included although only in respect of the requirement to eliminate discrimination in employment.
Training providers and employers MUST also comply with the other duty under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that applicants are not discriminated against in terms of entry to the industry based upon those nine protected characteristics.
The most up to date Equality, Diversity and Inclusion data for the sector stems from two surveys conducted across the Trading Standards profession. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute’s Diversity Survey was conducted in 2021 and provides the following UK snapshot:
Gender identity
56% Female, 42% Male, 0.62% Non-binary and 0.31% Trans
Ethnic identity
5.5% Asian, 3.8% Black, 1.9% mixed / Multiple ethnicity, 0.2% Other ethnic group, 83.6% White British, 4.7% White other
Age
6% under the age of 30
45% between the ages of 30 and 50
49% over the age of 50
This UK age profile for the Trading Standards profession is mirrored in a 2021 Wales-specific workforce snapshot which established that
7% of the profession is aged 30 or younger, while in contrast
48% of the profession is over the age of 50
No barriers are apparent for entry of any particular groups into regulatory compliance roles. In terms of gender identity, in what was once a male dominated profession, the proportion of females in the Trading Standards discipline now outweighs the proportion of males. The aim in respect of both gender identity and ethnic identity will be for representation of the different groups to reflect the composition of the wider working population, and for this to be achieved through awareness raising of the various career pathways along with the recruitment processes of the employing organisations.
The extent to which these regulatory professions have an ageing workforce is presented clearly in the above data. The fact that less than 10% of the workforce is under the age of 30 is of great concern from the perspectives of resilience and future succession planning. It is envisaged that soon after the introduction of the Level 4 apprenticeship, this age imbalance will begin to be addressed as awareness is raised of previously ‘invisible’ careers and pathways into them become accessible for young people.
Finally in the context of equality, diversity and inclusion, the apprenticeship will offer accessible routes into the regulatory professions enabling entrants to avoid the tens of thousands of pounds of student debt associated with studying for a traditional university degree. As a result, the Level 4 apprenticeship route will be attractive to those from all walks and present no financial barrier to entry.
Employment responsibilities and rights
Employment Responsibilities and Rights (ERR) is no longer compulsory. But it is recommended that all apprentices (especially the 16 years -18 year group) receive a company induction programme.
Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the Training Provider and Employer to ensure that the requirements of this pathway are delivered in accordance with Welsh Government/Medr Apprenticeships Guidance.
Further information may be obtained from: Medr
Apprenticeships: Apprenticeships@medr.cymru