A Trading Standards officer who is at the forefront of Leicestershire County Council’s work to tackle illegal tobacco has been awarded the title of National Apprentice of the Year.
Ali Walker was given the accolade by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) at its national conference in Leeds in recognition of her part in the ongoing work to crack down on illicit tobacco and vape sales across Leicestershire.
She joined the council’s Trading Standards service in February 2022 after working as a probation officer for 10 years, and enrolled on the Regulatory Compliance apprenticeship.
In September last year, Ali started a further Level 6 Trading Standards Professional Apprenticeship in Animal Health and Product Safety, which will allow her to gain more qualifications in other areas of work for which Trading Standards is responsible.
Making the award at the national conference, Duncan Stephenson from the CTSI said: “Judges were impressed by Ali’s work in tackling the supply of illegal tobacco. This included working in partnership with other enforcement agencies and resulted in issuing a £15,000 fine to a local trader and instigating the County’s first-ever closure after working closely with local police.
“Ali is now leading on a new project on Underage Sales, and she is always looking at alternative ways of tackling criminality.”
After receiving her award, a delighted Ali said: “I was shocked to win the award and still am. There are a lot of good apprentices doing a lot of good work in Trading Standards, so it’s just lovely that the team felt I deserved to be nominated – let alone win.
“For people who are new to, or considering, a career in Trading Standards, I would definitely recommend an apprenticeship. Trading Standards has such a huge remit, and the apprenticeship helps to give you a grounding in all the areas that we cover.
“Apprenticeships aren’t just for school leavers – I came from an established career in the Probation Service, which shows that apprenticeships are an option for people of all ages. The fact that Leicestershire Trading Standards offers apprenticeships also demonstrates the commitment that they have towards investing in and developing their staff.”
Councillor Deborah Taylor, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for regulatory services, said: “I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to Ali Walker on being named CTSI National Apprentice of the Year. This remarkable achievement is a testament to her hard work and dedication, which really deserves to be recognised at a national level.”
