Here at SFJ Awards, we believe in championing the hundreds of roles often forgotten in the UK’s Policing, Fire & Rescue, and Probation Services. We know that behind the scenes there are thousands of people working in ‘staff’ roles that have specialist skills and training that make the public sector function, and without whom public services could not operate effectively.
Apprenticeships in staff roles are fundamental to encourage the growth and development of a sustainable and highly skilled Police workforce that will be able to tackle changing crimes and trends as services seek to use preventative measures to tackle the impact crime has on society.
The future careers in the Intelligence branch of policing are not only vast, but also critical to the future of policing, as we work towards a more preventative, and nationally secure model of policing. An Apprentice Intelligence Analyst in Policing is a highly specialised role that supports Police services to understand, interpret and analyse data to detect and prevent crime and protect UK security.
Over the last two decades, cybercrime has soared, and the way that digital technology and data is being used by criminals continually evolves. In tandem, the way that police services approach detecting and subsequently attempting to prevent serious crime has had to evolve too. Now, more than ever, it is vital that highly skilled specialists work within the police to understand how crime can be detected to protect public safety and national security.
A route into a career in the Police can vary depending on where you live in the UK, and your previous education, qualifications, and skills. Apprenticeships provide the broadest opportunity for individuals interested in the Intelligence Career pathways and mean that you can develop on-the-job skills whilst working in the sector, as well as off-the-job learning which, once completed, equates to a level 4 qualification.
Apprentices are a key lifeline to ongoing workforce development across the Policing sector in England, and with national reforms in 2015, it is now more critical that apprenticeship funding is effectively utilised to support the skills development of a sustainable workforce that will fight and prevent crimes of tomorrow.
Whilst other training routes are available to become an Intelligence Analyst in Policing and start a budding career in intelligence services, we believe Apprenticeships provide a robust and flexible solution for individuals to kick-start their careers at pace, developing specialised and skills.
With the Covid-19 pandemic causing huge disruption to thousands of school and college leavers, some unable to complete their education quite how they would have wanted, an apprenticeship could be the right path to their future careers in Police Intelligence.