Practical apprenticeship will offer improved workplace-focused route into policing

New national apprenticeship requirements will be introduced for the police constable degree apprenticeship in April next year which allows training to be more focused on workplace skills and on-the-job learning.

Nov 5, 2024
By Paul Jacques
Picture: College of Policing

Regulated by the College of Policing, the revamped Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) will be aligned with the nursing equivalent and allow more flexibility for local programmes.

Recruitment through the PCDA makes policing one of the biggest providers of degree apprenticeships in England. It is one of four entry routes into police constable careers, all underpinned by the same core curriculum so forces can offer a mix of options to attract talented and diverse joiners.

The college says the PCDA has been redesigned to maintain high standards while giving forces more freedom to align local courses with the real-world challenges faced by recruits and operational demands. Assessments will focus on work-based skills, so courses resemble the regulated profession model used for nursing degree apprenticeships. Alternatives to final written dissertations can be considered in local programmes.

The new technical qualifications and occupational apprenticeship standards for PCDAs have been agreed with the Institute for Technical Education (IfATE), along with granting the College of Policing full regulatory status. Bridget Phillipson MP, the Secretary of State for Education, has approved increased funding for the new PCDA in England.

Forces, with their higher education partners, will be introducing the new PCDA from April 2025.

The PCDA changes are part of a wider initiative to embed work-focussed, practical training across all the entry routes for police constables – Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP),  Degree in Professional Policing (PPD) holder entry route and Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP).

Jo Noakes, interim deputy chief executive officer of the College of Policing, said: “While the PCDA is a brilliant apprenticeship to attract and develop talented new officers to a fully funded programme, its’ potential has been impacted by negative perceptions and regulatory constraints.

“We’ve listened to concerns and responded by giving forces, with their higher education partners, more freedom to design and tailor PCDA programmes to align more closely with operational needs and better support new recruits.

“The increased flexibility with the PCDA supports forces to recruit more diverse candidates and future leaders – particularly those individuals who may have been discouraged from applying because they felt the apprenticeship was too academic, and not for them.”

The increase in funding means English forces can draw down an additional £3,000 from the Government’s compulsory apprenticeship levy for each PCDA student officer, with the funding band for the PCDA being raised from £24,000 to £27,000.

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