Are degree apprenticeships the future of career training?

Thirty constables are clustered in the hangar-like room which, despite its size, seems humid and uncomfortable.

They stand in their thick-soled boots, black trousers and tight black tops. Some of them wear stab vests with radios, handcuffs and other paraphernalia attached.

They are about to search individuals suspected of carrying knives and illegal substances. But the venue is not a police station nor is it on the streets of Bristol. The group of constables – some are in their 20s, some are slightly older – are at UWE Bristol.

Chief Constable Andy Marsh speaks with students on the course

In May 2019, Avon & Somerset Police Constabulary launched a Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship, in partnership with UWE Bristol. It is a move away from traditional police training which, until May, was done completely in-house by the constabulary.

The police are not the first employer in Bristol to turn to UWE Bristol as a source of training, however. Other hands-on professions, such as becoming a paramedic and nursing, have made the move to degree-based training as well.

Degree apprenticeships have grown in number and diversity in recent years. UCAS states that the scheme allows apprentices to earn a bachelors degree while carrying out their apprenticeship, and can typically last between three and six years.

Bristol24/7 investigated why employers are increasingly using higher education to train their staff.

“Certain jobs, such as policing, are becoming increasingly complex,” explains UWE Bristol’s vice chancellor, Steve West. With a rise in cyber-crime, ever-increasing forensic science and the development of thought behind why crimes are committed, Steve suggests that both academic and on-the-job training is necessary.

“It seems to me to be a perfectly natural progression, given that, in my view, policing is a graduate profession. The complexity is certainly there, the need for our police officers to think very quickly and to be able to mobilize the knowledge and skills that they’ve got to put into practice,” adds Steve.

The Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship involves an initial 12 weeks of lectures at UWE Bristol, which include topics on the law and constable powers.

Bristol Law School at UWE Bristol’s Frenchay Campus

Avon & Somerset Police’s chief constable Andy Marsh agrees with the move from in-house training to the involvement of UWE Bristol. As well as adding the benefits of academic subjects, he hopes that higher education will make the police more diverse.

Since all constables receive a degree after three years of the apprenticeship, Andy hopes that this will make joining the constabulary “very attractive to some communities, very attractive to some parents, families and supporters, very attractive to people of all ages”.

He also says that a switch from in-house training to a mix with university involvement is cost effective. In offering a degree apprenticeship, employers can claim back money from the apprentice levy.

It seems that universities can add academic expertise and diversity to a profession but how does a partnership between an employer and a university actually work?

Steve West says it is all about co-design, putting the employer first and facilitating the learning around this.

The new police degree apprenticeship is a good example: Despite attending the University on and off for three years, apprentices do not pay tuition fees and are treated primarily as police constables, secondarily as students. The chief constable also highlights that nothing is being taken away from traditional training, simply that academia is being added.

Police apprentices at UWE Bristol

A potential concern is that these new partnerships increase student numbers in Bristol. Evidenced by several local establishments being replaced by student accommodation, the rise in the number of students in the city cannot be ignored.

However, UWE Bristol’s vice chancellor defends the partnership, saying that “citizens expect our professionals to be well-educated”. The university provides “most of the workforce for nursing, most of the workforce for allied health and most of the workforce for paramedics, so why is it different for policing?”

Andy Marsh adds that after just 12 weeks, these constables will be on the beat with their full powers, even as they continue their study.

If the success of UWE Bristol’s degree apprenticeship are anything to go they are likely to become more common at universities in the coming years.

Read more: Future police officers begin degree apprenticeship at UWE Bristol