West Mercia Police seeks the workforce of the future with officer recruitment drive

Police numbers in Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Worcestershire are set to be boosted in the near future as West Mercia Police reopens for new officer recruitment.

West Mercia Police would like to hear from you if you are a good communicator with a calm, confident personality, a problem solver and a team player who easily builds relationships, respects other people and appreciates views from different communities.

There are currently two ways of joining West Mercia Police as a student officer:

• Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship. Recruits follow an apprenticeship in policing for three years, with a starting salary of £22,065. Joining as a full-time officer, apprentices will apply what they have learned on the job to their course of study, with the learning recognised with a degree in Professional Policing Practice from Staffordshire University, with all tuition fees paid. To be eligible, applicants must have Level 2 qualifications in both English and Maths and Level 3 qualifications in any subjects, such as A-Levels.
• Degree Holder Entry Programme. Recruits who already have a degree join West Mercia Police and follow a two year programme, with a starting salary of £23,115. The work-based and academic learning as a full-time officer will be recognised with a Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing Practice from Staffordshire University, with all tuition fees paid. To be eligible for this route applicants will have achieved, or are due to graduate with, a Bachelor's Degree or higher in any subject.

Rachel Jones, Assistant Chief Constable for Local Policing, said: “If you enjoy facing challenges and solving problems, and would like to contribute to keeping neighbourhoods safe while studying towards a degree or diploma, then policing could be for you. As a student police officer, you’ll get to learn new skills, meet new people and study for a paid-for qualification, meaning that you can earn while you learn.

“Starting a career in the police can be one of the best things you’ll ever do. You’ll be able to make a real difference in your community, reducing crimes and making people safer, and you’ll set off on a career path that could see you specialise as a firearms officer, patrol officer, dog handler, traffic cop, detective or the trusted face of West Mercia Police in one of our neighbourhood policing teams.

“However, being a police officer isn’t for everyone. It’s one of the most challenging careers you can choose, being physically, mentally and emotionally demanding, so we are looking for talented people with a real aptitude for dealing with the public, remaining calm and patient even in stressful or volatile situations, who are able to think on their feet and willing to develop new skills, as data and technology become ever more important to policing.

“You can help us make West Mercia Police reflect the communities we serve, as we particularly want to hear from people who are currently under-represented in our workforce, including women and people from minority ethnic backgrounds.”

PC Connor Parsons is a constable based at Hereford Police Station, joining West Mercia Police in February 2020 as a student officer on the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship route. He said: “I applied to become a police officer because I wanted a challenging job where every shift is different. I wanted to study towards a degree whilst earning a salary, and doing a job that can change people’s lives”.

“Being an apprenticeship, a lot of skills have been learnt on shift from my Tutor Constable, and I find this is a good style of learning, in conjunction with the theory element from the university.

“It was a nervous experience being out on the frontline of policing for the first time, but I was excited to be a part of it and work with my team. I am looking forward to spending time with other departments throughout my study, gaining a better understanding of policing.”

Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “Communities have told me time and time again that they want more police officers, and they want to see and access them. I have committed to delivering that, as well as ensuring that West Mercia Police has the resilience to cope with changing demands.

“It is the people who make up policing, and I welcome the continued drive to recruit high quality candidates in a range of roles, who will deliver the quality of service our communities deserve.” 

To apply to become a student officer with West Mercia Police, visit https://www.westmercia.police.uk/police-forces/west-mercia-police/areas/west-mercia/ca/careers/new-police-officers/.