Practical apprenticeship offers improved workplace-focused route into policing
Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) moves to similar regulated model as nursing
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. 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 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 CEO 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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Notes to editors
There are four entry routes into police constable careers:
- Police constable degree apprenticeship
- Police constable entry programme
- Degree holder entry programme
- Degree in professional policing (PPD) holder entry route
- The PCDA changes have been introduced through a wider optimisation programme for police constable entry routes, aimed at maximising the effectiveness of local programmes. The College of Policing-led programme is collaborative with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, forces, higher education institutions and wider policing partners.
- The new PCDA has been ratified by the Institute for Technical Education (IfATE), the arm’s length body of the Department for Education which develops and approves technical qualifications and occupational standards.
- Due to the new funding band, the police service could potentially draw down an extra £6m a year in funding from the apprenticeship levy (based on current recruitment levels of around 2,000 PCDA starts a year across English forces).
- There is a service-wide commitment to prepare new officers for policing needs and use learning programmes to embed career-long professional skills, values, and behaviours. The entry routes are of fundamental importance for realising national strategic ambitions for policing.
- The entry routes aim to develop higher level critical thinking and problem-solving skills to meet the complex challenges of police work. They are also designed to develop the motivation and skills for innovation, continuing professional development and evidence-based policing, so policing can more readily adapt to changing demand.
- The College of Policing provides the national curriculum and programme specifications for entry routes.