Nottinghamshire Police first to offer fast-track degree path

Students on the course will be able to join the force as a special constable while studying for the qualification. This will ensure they are patrol ready when the course ends, eliminating the need for further classroom-based training.

Studying for a Professional Policing qualification does not guarantee a position within the police service, but Nottinghamshire Police said that the force will reserve places for high performing Special Constables to undertake the national Police Officer Recruitment Tests during the second year of their course. This means some students will have the opportunity to join the force shortly after graduation.

The scheme was formally endorsed and accredited at a meeting of the College of Policing’s Initial Police Education Board last week, meaning other forces are also able to pursue similar recruitment pathways.

Nottinghamshire Police Chief Constable Craig Guildford said: “Getting qualified recruits who are ready to take on the day to day challenges of the job is something I am passionate about.

“We already accept graduates from the three-year policing degree, this will add to the options available to those wanting to join our force. Being a Special Constable at the same time will give students invaluable practical insights into what it is like to work in Nottinghamshire Police, making them a standout candidate when applying for a role in the force.

“I have no doubt this new approach will speed up getting fully trained officers out onto our streets and into the neighbourhoods where the public and I want to see them. Through prudent planning we have already managed to recruit all our new officers as part of the government’s uplift programme. This is on top of a further 175 we have already recruited. People will really notice the difference once they start.”

Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping said: “I have made a commitment to getting more police officers into the communities we serve as this is what people have told me they want to see. This fast track degree course coupled with the Special Constable recruitment will see us having some of the best recruits in the country walking our streets in as short a time as possible.”

Professor Kamil Omoteso, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of College of Business, Law and Social Sciences at the University of Derby added: “I’m delighted that we are able to offer the first two-year Professional Policing Course at the University of Derby. The programme adopts an innovative approach to learning responding to the needs of the force for flexibility in terms of delivery methodology. It will meet the academic requirements of the College of Policing as it integrates the knowledge skills and behaviours required by the degree into a flexible, coherent and cohesive programme in response to the needs of police forces.

“This unique opportunity to provide a two-year accelerated degree creates opportunities for students to enter the profession quicker and employers to be able to engage graduates in pursuit of their recruitment strategies.”