Northamptonshire’s first Police Constable Degree Apprentices graduate

Twelve police officers have officially graduated after successfully completing the first Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) programme at the University of Northampton.

The police constable degree apprenticeship programme is designed to develop the students’ theoretical knowledge of criminology, evidence-based policing, supporting vulnerable people, dealing with cyber-crime and crime prevention, as well as legislation, procedures, and police law.

The apprentices were officially sworn in at Northamptonshire Police Headquarters back in November 2018. Since then, they have blended practical on-the-job learning and deployment to policing jobs across Northamptonshire, with their academic theory and knowledge building on campus. The students have also used the specialist ‘Hydra’ Immersive Learning System, which uses technology to immerse students in critical incidents to develop their skills in decision making.

Karen Jones, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Northampton said: “I’m incredibly proud to celebrate the success of this first cohort of the PCDA students as they graduate. This is a significant achievement for them all, their journey has not been easy, while many of us were locked down, these students maintained their operational duties and academic studies throughout the pandemic. It is a huge testament to their tenacity, adaptability, resilience, and commitment, all vital qualities for a career in policing.”

Chief Constable Nick Adderley said: “This is a significant achievement for the student officers, and I want to congratulate them on their success. Not only did they join a brand-new course, embark on a new career, balance practical real-life policing together with academic studies, but they also accomplished this during a global pandemic. I now look forward to seeing how they develop and grow into the wider policing family.”

Find out more about the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship here.