About this course
About this course
The Auditor Training programme is the natural progression beyond the Sites Training course, aimed at staff who audit for their own organisation or on behalf of customers. This three-day virtual programme is delivered by a BRCGS Approved Training Partner and covers Issue 9 at the level of detail a competent auditor needs.
Who should attend
The course is intended for experienced technical and quality managers, second-party auditors working on behalf of retailers or brand owners, consultants supporting suppliers through certification, and senior site staff preparing to take on internal or supplier audit responsibilities. Completion of the Sites Training programme or equivalent prior exposure to Issue 9 is strongly recommended. Delegates without audit experience should consider the Internal Auditor qualification first to build practical audit skills before stepping up to the Auditor Training programme.
What the programme covers
Day one revisits the Standard at clause level, focusing on audit-critical interpretation points introduced in Issue 9. Day two covers the audit process itself: planning, opening meetings, evidence sampling, interview technique, non-conformity writing and grading, and closing meetings. Day three runs practical audit exercises against simulated site scenarios, with structured feedback on technique, findings and report quality. The programme addresses the specific challenges of the Issue 9 audit, including product safety culture assessment, site security evaluation and the evidence expected for high-risk and high-care zone verification. Attention is given to the professional boundary between auditor and auditee and to the common pitfalls that cause findings to be overturned on appeal.
Assessment and certification
The course combines daily written assessments with a final examination and a practical audit exercise. A pass earns the official BRCGS Certificate of Achievement. For delegates pursuing registration with a certification body, this qualification is a common prerequisite before moving on to the Lead Auditor programme.
Course format and delivery
The programme runs over three consecutive days in a live virtual format with a BRCGS Approved senior trainer. Sessions combine methodology teaching with structured audit exercises, peer feedback and case study discussion from real audit findings. Delegates complete pre-course reading and receive detailed audit technique guidance for reference after the programme.
Why this matters
Auditor competence determines the credibility of every BRCGS audit report. Formal training significantly improves consistency between auditors, reduces the rate of findings overturned on appeal and supports the kind of calibrated audit culture retailers now expect. It also provides a defensible training record for auditors named on certification body registers or on supplier audit schedules. Delegates often take this course after completing the Food Safety Issue 9 Sites Training and the Internal Auditor qualification, and before progressing into the Lead Auditor qualification. Additional depth is often built through the BRCGS HACCP programme.
See the full BRCGS courses and training catalogue for related programmes or contact the team to discuss enrolment and progression.
