A cross-force working group has been established to support the introduction of the Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP) in England and Wales.
Forces across England have come together to work in collaboration with qualifications specialists SFJ Awards to develop a vocational qualification for police constables entering the profession via PCEP.
PCEP offers recruits the opportunity to get hands-on and work alongside experienced police officers on the ground, blending in-house learning with training on the job. The new PCEP qualification is therefore intended to provide robust and nationally regulated recognition of the achievements of PCEP entrants, and the working group is inviting the remaining forces who are adopting PCEP to input to the design of the new vocational qualification.
Candace Miller is Managing Director at SFJ Awards – the not-for-profit leading the qualification design. Encouraging representatives from across policing to get involved, she said:
“PCEP is an alternative to the degree-entry routes into policing which offers those who do not wish to gain a degree the opportunity to enter the profession.
“Forces that choose to offer a vocational qualification at the end of the two-year PCEP training programme will provide learners with a recognised and transferable record of their achievement which will support their careers well into the future.
“Furthermore, the qualification will support the standardisation and quality assurance of vocational training, giving confidence to the public that new PCEP officers are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to protect our communities.”
PCEP officially launched in April 2024 following the decommissioning of the Initial Police Learning and Development Programme entry route. The working group initiative was launched in response by forces who will be delivering the new PCEP training in-house.
Register your interest in joining the working group for PCEP →
