3 November 2022

Police degree scheme is putting “enormous pressure” on new recruits says Federation

The police degree scheme is putting “enormous pressure” on new recruits and restricting the diversity of applicants, Dorset Police Federation has said.

Chair James Dimmack was speaking after 16 Police and Crime Commissioners asked the Home Secretary to drop the blanket requirement for all officers to have a degree. They said that recruits from the military, Special Constables and older career-changers were being put off from joining, at a time when forces in England and Wales need to recruit an extra 20,000 officers.

The Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) means that student officers are training in frontline skills at the same time as studying for a policing degree, which has left officers stressed and put pressure on teams when new officers are in the classroom. James said policing should reflect society, and that life experience was sometimes just as important as a degree.

He continued: “I am fully supportive of rewarding officers and trying to ensure that we attract the best quality applicants. But degree entry, however well-intentioned, is not the answer.

“It was designed to reward officers with qualifications commensurate with the skills and abilities they require within their role. The reality is that the degree scheme is heaping enormous pressure on our new recruits, who are learning a challenging new job, working 24/7 shifts, and being asked to complete a degree on top of that.

“Perhaps most concerning, however, is that I believe this is restricting our diversity of applicants. We will be attracting young people who are predisposed to being capable of studying to a prescribed level. This completely bypasses those with life experience and crucial communication skills.

“It may be old-fashioned, but I think specifically of people from the armed forces joining the police. Traditionally we attracted those armed forces personnel who retired after their service and came to a second career in policing. Will they want to do that now they will have to study for a degree when they are in their forties?

“I am not against the idea of degree entry, however I believe that, as in life, we need to be flexible and adapt to the circumstances presented to us. Policing is representative of society and we are drawn from society. Not everyone has a degree and not everyone needs a degree. Everyone, however, has something to bring to the table to make a difference – and we are now missing out on that. This needs to be looked at again and reassessed.”