Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) July 2025
Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) – 3 year Apprenticeship programme
About the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship
Starting Salary: Starting Salary: £29,907 per annum (increasing to a minimum of £32,427 after 2 years, and £48,231 after 6 years if you remain in the police constable rank, subject to performance).
Becoming a police officer through this apprenticeship entry route allows you to earn a salary whilst you learn policing skills with West Yorkshire Police & Leeds Trinity University.
This route is for people who want to be a Police Constable through a three-year Integrated Degree apprenticeship. Further details on this can be found via the following link to the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Learning website: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/police-constable-integrated-degree-v1-1
Few jobs can be more rewarding than that of a police officer. From day one, you’ll be helping fight crime and protecting the public, making our communities safer and feeling safer. It’s much more than blue lights and fast cars. It’s protecting vulnerable people when they need you most. It’s working in partnership to tackle serious and organised crime and it’s making critical decisions that will change lives forever. You will investigate a wide range of crimes such as burglaries, violence against women & children and other assaults, going that extra mile to ensure the best chance of securing a conviction.
We are looking for exceptional individuals who are hardworking, enthusiastic and keen to learn the skills necessary for the challenging role of a police officer and we have an exciting opportunity to recruit new officers on the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship.
You may wonder - ‘why are new police officers offered an apprenticeship to train to become a police constable’? An apprenticeship is really just a work-based learning programme and this a great way of gaining the knowledge skills and behaviours to become a competent officer. In reality, police training has always been an ‘apprenticeship’ in approach, blending classroom training with operational, on-the -job learning. You may also hear many people say that you do not require a degree to be a good police officer, but what this level of education provides you with is the ability to think critically, solve complex problems and fully understand the context of evidence-based policing. This is so important in policing today’s modern society with the many complex challenges that brings. You should also know that the non-degree entry route (PCEP) covers the same curriculum and operational work-based learning over the first two years.
This Degree Apprenticeship entry route is not for everyone, and it does require commitment and hard work, but the rewards are worth it. You, and we, are investing in your future!
So, with our degree apprenticeship programme, you will be working in a uniformed role for the first two years and during that time you will be taught all the relevant knowledge and skills by both teaching staff at West Yorkshire Police and our partners, Leeds Trinity University (LTU). In the third and final year you may be offered the opportunity to specialise in conducting investigations for serious and complex crime or working in community policing.
Over the full three years you will work towards an End Point Assessment and on successful completion of this you will be awarded a BA Hons in Professional Policing Practice by LTU. During this time, you will be fully supported to achieve success by both the Force and the University.
Programme structure
You will complete the initial 19 week classroom-based training within West Yorkshire Police training facilities. After this time, you will then move to work within one of the five operational policing districts in West Yorkshire (Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds or Wakefield) where you will apply your knowledge and skills in the workplace, building on your operational competence.
The first ten weeks at district are spent in a mentored period, working with an experienced Police Officer. It is during this period that you will be assessed on your ability to work independently, policing our communities, but with the support of your colleagues. You will spend further periods at LTU to build your knowledge and skills and will then return to district to apply this learning and continue to gain operational experience. During your LTU periods you will undertake work towards achieving a BA Hons in Professional Policing Practice.
Eligibility
To be considered for this apprenticeship and any police officer pathway you must meet the following criteria at the application stage:
• be at least 17 years of age, 18 at the time you are appointed to the role
• residency - have been a UK resident for the last three years
• be a British Citizen, or an EU/European Economic Area (EEA) national, Commonwealth citizen or foreign national with Indefinite Leave to Remain or Settled Status and no restrictions on your stay in the United Kingdom
• have a Level 2 / GCSE (A*-C or 9-4) or equivalent qualification in English Language and Maths
• possess a level 3 qualification within the meaning of Section 3 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 or equivalent (i.e. 2 x A/AS Levels Grade A to E, GNVQ/NVQ Level 3, BTEC Level 3 or equivalent); ideally with a minimum of 80 UCAS points (typically 2 or 3 A-levels depending on grades) or be a serving Special Constable or PCSO having attained independent patrol status. We are not accepting applications from anyone in their final year of study/with predicted grades at this time.
If your Level 3 qualification does not meet the minimum UCAS points, completion of a 1000-word essay would need to be undertaken as part of the selection process, for consideration of suitability, by Leeds Trinity University. You can check your qualification UCAS points using this link: https://www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator
• holding a full manual UK or EU driving licence by the time of formal offer will be an advantage
In addition to the above you will be required to meet the usual Police Officer eligibility criteria (follow link: https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/jobs-volunteer/police-officers/police-constable-degree-apprenticeships)
Our expectations are high and you should expect to undergo a rigorous assessment process, following which you will attend an in-Force interview. Should you be successful in all elements of the assessment process you will undergo a medical assessment, fitness test and vetting before a job offer is made.
In return, you will receive first class training, an excellent salary and pension benefits, and become part of a large Police Force which brings fantastic prospects in terms of career development and future promotional opportunities.
There are currently a limited number of places available on a cohort planned for November 2025. The closing date for applications is Thursday 17th July 2025 at 23:55, however, we reserve the right to change the closing date, depending on the number of applications received.