What is the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA)?

If you are interested in joining the police and do not already have a degree, you can take part in the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA). This route enables you to receive extremely useful, practical on-the-job learning alongside equally important academic theory and knowledge. It has the added benefit of earning a wage, and you will be recognised as a police officer on the first day on the job.

The PCDA is a relatively new way to join the police and has been praised for being applicable to 21^st century policing. The programme covers a wide range of professional education for the police constable that was not available in any previous constable training programme, such as evidence-based policing, supporting vulnerable people, dealing with cybercrime, and crime prevention.

How does the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship work?

The training for the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship focuses on practical learning and is specifically designed to prepare applicants for policing. The training will equip you with the skills and knowledge that are required to be a police officer, whilst also learning on the job from experienced officers as a paid officer yourself.

Throughout your training, you’ll undertake a number of operational deployments including:

Response – this involves responding to emergency calls from the public and going out to the scene of the incident  

Neighbourhood policing – this involves working with a neighbourhood policing team (NPT). They are usually a small team of police officers and police community support officers (usually 3-10) who are dedicated to policing a certain community or area.  

Investigations – using all the tools available to you both office based and out in the community.   

How long does it take to complete?

The PCDA takes around three years to complete, during which time you are assessed on both academic and operational capabilities. This assessment is done in collaboration between a force and the respective local university.  On successfully completing all elements of the PCDA you’ll become a fully qualified substantive police officer and will be awarded a BSc (Hons) degree in Professional Policing Practice.

How do I apply for the apprenticeship?

First of all, you need to identify the force that you would like to join and check to see if they are recruiting for this entry route. You can do this by visiting https://www.joiningthepolice.co.uk/whos-recruiting/apprenticeship.

You will also need a Level 3 qualification (which is two A-levels or equivalent) in at least two subjects OR be able to demonstrate relevant experience or training that can be considered equivalent to a Level 3 qualification to apply via this route.

To help new recruits, we provide a Police Application e-learning Course which is available for £8.99. This course will help you to make the best use of your knowledge, skills and experiences and present them in a structured and effective manner that sets you apart from the crowd. Our aim is not just to inform but help you achieve top performance.

Submitting an excellent application form is the first stage towards achieving your goal of becoming a Police Officer, so make sure it stands out and you have done all you can to get through to the next stage of the process.

The key to success is to get your preparation right!

Our online portal allows you to study and prepare from your computer or tablet at your own pace, thereby saving you unnecessary costs and travelling time in attending other coaching-related courses. Our platform allows you to keep notes while learning and conveniently bookmark your progress securely.  

You will be provided with:

• General guidance on how to succeed with your police application
• Guidance on the approach taken by the police
• A walkthrough of the Competency and Values Framework (CVF) and tips on applying it
• An awareness of the police application form content
• Guidance on how to build your police application responses
• Top tips in submitting a strong police application

Start your journey to becoming a police officer today, enrol here https://practicetoprogress.com/recruitment/police-application-prep/