Which entry route is right for you?

As a full-time student officer on the IPDLP+ programme you will be able to join the frontline of policing, earning a starting salary of £25,682 whilst also learning the crucial skills and practices to become a fully qualified police officer.

This is a 2-year programme designed for candidates without a degree – providing new recruits with a blend of practical 'on-the-job' experience and classroom-based learning.

This route does not give any qualification at the end of the two-year period, as candidates will not study for a degree. Whichever route you choose to join us, you’ll receive the best possible training and are expected to reach a standard of operational competence by the end of this period.

Your training will start with an initial learning period where you will learn the basic knowledge and skills needed to be a police officer. From there you will move to your designated local policing area for 20 weeks of tutoring and learning.

The remainder of your two years will be spent building your skills, experience, and knowledge through a several different operational placements – including response and neighbourhood policing.

We will support you throughout your learning. You will be provided with a dedicated Tutor Constable, who will be your first point of contact, along with your fellow policing colleagues and your line manager who will guide and advise you during your training.

In addition to the standard PC entry requirements, we require candidates wishing to undertake the IPLDP+ route to have:

• Hold a Level 2 (GCSE or functional skills) qualification in Maths and English at grade C/4 or higher

• Hold a Level 3 qualification or equivalent at any grade and any subject or relevant experience

• If you have served in an emergency services role, military, armed forces or similar law enforcement agency considered to be operational by West Mercia Police for a minimum of 2 years within the past 5 years and have an exemplary reference.

As a full time, student officer on the IPLDP+ programme you will earn a starting salary of £25,269 whilst also learning the crucial skills and practices to become a fully qualified Police Officer.

Start your journey at West Mercia Police with our Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) and earn a competitive salary, while also studying towards a fully qualified degree.

Open to non-degree holders, this three-year apprenticeship programme provides you with the opportunity to learn as you earn and achieve a BSc (Hons) degree in Professional Policing Practice from Staffordshire University on successful completion.

You’ll be employed as an officer from day one, making a difference to the communities in West Mercia (Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Worcestershire).

As an apprentice police officer your learning with take place over 3-years and will include classroom based training, coupled with online digital learning and practical experience that you'll gain working as a police officer within the policing teams in either Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford or Worcestershire.

You will join your new colleagues at a local police station to respond to incidents, investigate crime, take part in community engagement, and help problem solve some of the biggest challenges our communities face.

We will support you throughout your learning. You will be provided with a dedicated Tutor Constable, who will be your first point of contact, along with your fellow policing colleagues and your line manager who will guide and advise you during your training.

In the final year of your course, you will have the opportunity to specialise in either Advanced Response, Roads Policing and Communities, to work directly within the communities we serve as a frontline Police Officer or in Advanced Investigations, Intelligence, and Information if you are looking to become a Detective.

As a Police Constable Degree Apprentice, you will achieve a Level 6 (degree level) qualification in Professional Policing Practice and you can set out on a career path that could see you specialise as a detective, firearms officer, dog handler, work in traffic or be the trusted, familiar face of West Mercia Police in the community.

In addition to the standard PC entry requirements, we require candidates wishing to undertake the PCDA route to have:

• Level 2 qualifications in both English and Maths, such as GCSEs or iGCSEs at grade C or 4 (or above) or Functional Skills Level 2 and Key Skills Level 2 (Communication and/or Literacy)
• Level 3 qualifications in any subject(s) that equate to 64 UCAS points (these could be from your A Levels, Level 3 Diplomas, Level 3 Apprenticeship, NVQs or an International Baccalaureate, to name a few). You can also apply if you have a full Level 4 qualification or a full Level 5 qualification, such as a degree, in a non-policing related subject.

For current military personnel or veterans, please read our application guidance for more information about entry requirements.

As a Police Constable Degree Apprentice, you’ll be working as a full-time police officer, earning a starting salary of £26,682, and learning crucial skills and practices to become a fully qualified officer. You'll also gain a paid-for degree level qualification on the job from Staffordshire University in Professional Policing Practice.

Degree holders (or students within the final year of study for a degree) can apply to our Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP).

This two-year programme will provide degree holders (in any subject area) with the opportunity to learn as they earn and gain a fully funded Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing Practice on successful completion, while embarking on a deeply rewarding and interesting career at West Mercia Police.

The DHEP entry route is a vocational programme that focuses on practical learning and is specifically tailored for a career in policing. You’ll learn how policing works in theory, so that when you encounter practical situations in real life, you’ll be prepared and know what to do.

You’ll be employed as an officer from day one, making a difference to the communities in West Mercia (Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Worcestershire). You will also be studying for a degree in Professional Policing from Staffordshire University.

Your learning over 2-years will include classroom-based training, coupled with online digital learning together with practical experience that you'll gain working as a police officer on shifts within the policing teams in either Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford or Worcestershire.

You will join your new colleagues at a local police station to respond to incidents, investigate crime, take part in community engagement, and help problem solve some of the biggest challenges our communities face.

We will support you throughout your learning. You will be provided with a dedicated Tutor Constable, who will be your first point of contact, along with your fellow policing colleagues and your line manager who will guide and advise you during your training.

In the final year of your course, you will have the opportunity to specialise in either Advanced Response, Roads Policing and Communities, to work directly within the communities we serve as a frontline Police Officer or in Advanced Investigations, Intelligence, and Information if you are looking to become a Detective.

Whichever route you undertake you will have achieved a Level 6 (graduate diploma) qualification in Professional Policing Practice, and you can set out on a career path that could see you specialise as a detective, firearms officer, dog handler, work in traffic or be the trusted, familiar face of West Mercia Police in the community.

In addition to the standard PC entry requirements, we require candidates wishing to undertake the DHEP route to have:

• Achieved, or are due to graduate in the year you are applying, with a bachelor’s degree or higher

As a full-time student police officer, you will be able to build upon the degree you have already gained, earning a starting salary of £26,682 whilst learning the crucial skills and practices to become a fully qualified Police Officer.

Working as a Detective Constable is one of the most demanding, but also rewarding roles in Policing. As a detective, you will make West Mercia a safer place to live and work, protecting people from harm and providing the best outcomes for victims and their families.

Detective Constables and Police Constables have the same rank but undertake different operational roles. As a detective you will deal with some of the most serious and complex crimes, working on a variety of investigations including robbery, serious assaults, fraud, and domestic abuse.

Your role will be to uncover the truth in the cases you investigate. You will analyse evidence, speak with witness and suspects, and have the compassion and communication skills to deal with some very challenging situations.

The Detective Constable Entry Routes provides candidates with the opportunity to gain the knowledge and experience necessary to become a competent Police Officer before specialising in CID.

Following your initial foundation learning either as an apprentice on the PCDA or graduate on our DHEP scheme, you will join your new colleagues whilst in uniform at a local police station to develop your basic vital policing skills responding to incidents, investigate crime, take part in community engagement, and help problem solve some of the biggest challenges our communities face.

During the final year of your course, you will have the opportunity to specialise in Advanced Investigations, Intelligence, and Information, working on attachment alongside CID colleagues on serious and complex criminal investigations to gain an understanding of the critical role Detectives play in protecting people from harm.

Once you have successfully completed your PCDA or DHEP qualification you will be considered for a Detective Constable post to undertake additional training and qualifications to enable you to become a fully accredited Detective.

If you are passionate about protecting people from harm and want to work in a demanding but rewarding profession our Detective Student Officer Programme could be just right for you.

If you're applying through the Degree Holder Entry Programme then you must have achieved, or are due to graduate in the year you are applying, with a Bachelor's Degree or higher.

If you're applying through the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship Route, you do not need to have a degree but need to have Level 3 qualifications in any subject(s) that equate to 64 UCAS points (these could be from your A Levels, Level 3 Diplomas, Level 3 Apprenticeship, NVQs or an International Baccalaureate, to name a few). You can also apply if you have a full Level 4 qualification or a full Level 5 qualification, such as a degree, in a non-policing related subject.

As a student officer in the PCDA Detective Constable Pathway, you will earn a starting salary of £24,219, and as a student officer in the DHEP Detective Constable Pathway, you will earn a starting salary of £25,269.

The Professional Policing Degree (PPD) Programme is the route into Policing for graduates with a degree in Professional Policing. This route may sometimes be called 'Pre-Join'.

You will not have to undertake any further academic learning and through a dedicated programme of training and experience, you will develop the skills required to be a competent Police Officer.

Your training over 2-years will build upon the knowledge you have gained through your degree and consists of classroom based & online digital learning, coupled with practical experience that you'll gain working as a police officer on shifts within the policing teams in either Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford or Worcestershire.

You will join your new colleagues at a local police station to respond to incidents, investigate crime, take part in community engagement, and help problem solve some of the biggest challenges our communities face.

We will support you throughout your learning. You will be provided with a dedicated Tutor Constable, who will be your first point of contact, along with your fellow policing colleagues and your line manager who will guide and advise you during your training.

In the final year of your course, you will have the opportunity to specialise in either Advanced Response, Roads Policing and Communities, to work directly within the communities we serve as a frontline Police Officer or in Advanced Investigations, Intelligence, and Information if you are looking to become a Detective.

Whichever route you undertake, by joining West Mercia Police you will have set out on a career path that could see you specialise as a detective, firearms officer, dog handler, work in traffic or be the trusted, familiar face of West Mercia Police in the community.

The Professional Policing Degree (PPD) Programme is the route into Policing for graduates with a degree in Professional Policing.

As a student police officer on the PPD Programme you will have the opportunity to apply the learning you have gained through your degree, in the role of a frontline Police Officer with a starting salary of £26,682 (rising to £30,060 within 5-years).