3 October 2019

"We will give new officers from the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship Programme all the support they need"

Dorset Police Federation General Secretary Ian Roe says that the Federation will provide new officers from the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship Programme every support that they need to be successful within the force.

Dorset welcomed 16 new officers to the new Degree Apprenticeship Programme on the 30th September and Ian says that the scheme offers new opportunities for individuals wanting to start a career in policing.

He said: “The Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship Programme is a new way of recruiting officers into the service, it’s a new way in whereby officers gain a degree through the course of a three-year study programme alongside operational duties.

“Previously you didn’t need a degree to join the police but you now either need a degree or you need to come in through this process but then the benefit for the individuals is that they gain a recognised qualification”, Ian added.

Unlike regular degrees the new scheme offers new recruits the opportunity to gain a full qualification without adopting the burden of student loans or grants.

On a national scale, there have been some concerns over the practically of the programme and the potential to draw officers away from traditional frontline policing duties but Ian says a suitable stability will need to be found.

“I think the main concerns with the scheme is that officers will be abstracted more from frontline duties for a longer period, the traditional two year probationary period is now replaced by a three-year degree apprenticeship period and that obviously includes abstractions for their studies in order to meet the academic necessities of the qualification.

“It’s just about getting that balance really, the Federation will be monitoring the impact on our new officers and frontline resilience.”

Regardless of their entry route, new officers will still be afforded the same benefits and support should they choose to become Dorset Police Federation members, including the opportunity of joining a group insurance scheme providing a comprehensive insurance package to assist officers in both their personal lives and on duty.

“These are our new officers and we’ll give them every support we can through the Federation”, Ian added.