Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship Bedfordshire

The Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship combines on the job learning with working towards a fully funded degree, all while earning a competitive salary and making a difference to East of England communities. You’ll be a police officer from the day you join - embarking on an exciting career like no other whilst working towards attaining a degree in policing, which we give you a 3 year probationary term to achieve this. Your University days will be incorporated into your working shift pattern. Once achieved, you exit probation with a degree, substantive PC status and no student fees to repay!

As an Officer, you will also attend Personal Safety Training and of course, there are a wide range of ICT systems to learn about.

Your knowledge and skills will be assessed throughout this period using a variety of techniques including exam, presentations, short essays and a full work-based occupational competency portfolio.

Our training teams understand that you may not yet know very much about policing. No assumptions are made, and each student officer is offered coaching to achieve the requirements in a very tailored way.

We also have lots of experience if you need any workplace adjustments – everyone is screened for Dyslexia and given personal feedback as necessary.

Out on patrol, you will be coached and mentored by trained tutor constables who will support you to achieve a “safe and lawful” standard of practice.  Once you achieve Independent Patrol Status, you will a fully deployable resource attending jobs by yourself

You will be welcomed, whatever your background, and supported throughout the programme by our friendly teams.

Programme information

Your training will begin with a 22 week initial learning phase, attending one of our training centres in Dunstable, you will then complete a 15 week guided tutorship as a student officer before independent officer status.

You will learn a wide range of policing skills including Personal Safety Training, emergency life support, safeguarding, crime investigation, operational policing skills, and there are a wide range of ICT systems to learn about.

Our training teams understand that you may not yet know very much about policing. No assumptions are made, and each student officer is offered coaching to achieve the requirements in a very tailored way.

We also have lots of experience if you need any workplace adjustments – everyone will be screened for Dyslexia and given personal feedback as necessary.

You will then move to your designated policing area in Bedfordshire and join a team working alongside experienced police officers.

Out on patrol, you will be coached and mentored by trained tutor constables who will support you to achieve a “safe and lawful” standard of practice, before being signed off as fit for Independent Patrol Status, meaning you can patrol alone.

In year two, there will be four more weeks of training to further develop your understanding about key topics such as leadership, inclusion, investigation skills and public protection.

Throughout your training you’ll undertake work-based learning and you will be fully supported as you apply new skills and knowledge as part of your operational duties.

You’ll be immersed in day-to-day policing. This will help you understand the context of what you learn, enabling you to develop the skills and experience needed for this challenging role, as you actively contribute to reducing crime and harm in the communities of Bedfordshire.

Throughout the course you will need to successfully complete operational assessments to test the skills, knowledge and qualities required to be an officer.

Your knowledge and skills will be assessed throughout the programme using a variety of techniques including exam, presentations and short essays.

You will also need to compile a work-based Operational Competency Portfolio and pass operational assessments of a range of critical policing skills. Once you have successfully completed your two-year probation, you will be able to consider further opportunities of progression and specialism within our force.

For your application to meet the academic requirements, you will need to provide evidence of the following: 

• GCSE Maths and English at a minimum of grade C or 4 (or equivalent qualification, such as level 2 functional skills in Maths and English) 

In addition to the Maths and English requirements, the following criteria will also be applied: 

• Applicants with passes in two A Levels (or equivalent) consisting of 32 UCAS points will automatically meet the academic entry requirements.  
• Any other level 3 qualification

• Applicants with less than 32 UCAS points will be considered if they can provide evidence of at least one year’s employment in a role with comparable skills to policing or academic study. These applicants will be invited to complete an aptitude test followed by a suitability discussion where an assessment will be made on their ability to meet the academic demands of the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship.  Applicants who pass the suitability discussion criteria will have met the university entry requirements.

Further information on UCAS points can be found here.

Applicants must hold a full UK manual driving licence at the time of application. This is a mandatory requirement for all Police Officers.

Why Choose a Career in Policing?
Bedfordshire Police is recognised as a pioneering and forward-thinking service, responsible for policing a large, diverse, and multicultural population.

If you're looking for a meaningful and rewarding career—where you can make a real difference, take on new challenges, and gain a wide variety of experiences—then we want to hear from you.


What We Offer
We’re proud to support our people with a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Pension Schemes: Access to the Police Pension Scheme, with employer contributions and death-in-service benefits.
• Generous Annual Leave: 25 to 30 days (depending on rank and length of service).
• Sick Pay: Up to six months full pay and six months half pay (depending on service).
• Family Leave: Occupational maternity, adoption, and paternity pay (depending on service).
• Carers and Discretionary Leave
• Flexible Working: Including compressed hours, flexible shifts, job sharing, annualised hours, and agile working (role dependent).
• Wellbeing Support: Local wellbeing teams, on-site gym facilities and exercise classes (location dependent).
• Sports & Social Clubs: Enjoy discounts, trips, and events through our dedicated clubs.
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Blue Light Card App: Option to sign up for discounts in-store and online for emergency service workers.
• Financial Support: Access to Police Mutual for savings plans, insurance, loans, and independent financial advice.
• Employee Assistance Programme: Confidential support for personal and professional wellbeing.
• Staff Support Networks: Including groups for Black and Minority Ethnic colleagues, LGBTQ+ colleagues, disability awareness, menopause support, faith-based groups, and more.
• Access to Federation/Supts Association/COPSA (rank dependant).
• Career Development: Opportunities for progression, promotion, and continuous improvement training.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
We are committed to building a workforce that is inclusive and truly representative of the communities we serve. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, especially those currently under-represented in policing, including:

• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities
• People of all ages and abilities
• All faiths and religions
• LGBTQ+ communities
• Individuals from disadvantaged or marginalised backgrounds

All applications are assessed fairly and based on the evidence you provide and your suitability for the role.

Please note: This role has been identified as high-risk in relation to potential DNA and fingerprint contamination within forensic processes. As such, successful candidates will be required to provide a DNA and fingerprint elimination sample as part of their pre-employment checks.

The sample will be used to conduct a speculative search against our database and then solely for contamination elimination purposes and held on a secure elimination database in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR.

Provision of this sample is a condition of employment for roles identified as high-risk.

This advert is due to close on 30th September 2026 at 23:55pm