In February 2020 the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) launched the very first Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) in the Lancashire and Cumbria regions to educate future police officers.
The programme has been designed in conjunction with the College of Policing as part of the new Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF), which forms part of the National Policing Vision 2025. Working with Lancashire and Cumbria Constabularies, the University will deliver the academic content of the apprenticeship for its three-year duration. This will lead to a graduation at the university for the students and the attainment of Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Professional Policing Practice. The launch of the new apprenticeship will give student officers the chance to combine academic study with their role as a Police Officer.
Clive Tattum the Principal Lecturer for the PEQF said. “A considerable amount of work took place to develop and then deliver the first blocks of this course. This included the need to continue to deliver high-quality personalised education to serving police learners during the Covid pandemic. This was in the context of significant challenges to both the Lancashire and Cumbria Constabulary from an operational policing perspective and UCLan from a teaching perspective.”
Commenting on the launch Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said: "Police officers come from all walks of life and work around the clock to keep people safe.''
"Investing in our officers will always be a top priority and this new recruiting process is a good opportunity to gain hands-on operational policing experience, whilst at the same time obtaining valuable academic qualifications to equip officers with the skills necessary to manage the increasing demands of modern policing."
— Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner
Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner Peter McCall added: “Policing is a dynamic service which operates in a complex and rapidly changing environment, it’s very important that our officers receive the best possible training to equip them for a career serving the public.
The first blocks of the course were successfully delivered last May, and the University now has a combined cohort of 87. It is an example of how collaborative partnerships between UCLan and employers, based on a degree apprenticeship initiative, provides a resilient and successful platform to deliver excellent outcomes for employers and learners.
