Nottinghamshire Police will be the first force in the country to offer a brand-new training programme which will turn military service leavers into police officers.
The Military Service Leavers Pathway into Policing’ programme is open to anyone who is in their military resettlement period.
Nottinghamshire Police is committed to boosting the numbers of officers working for the force, which now sits at 2,408, as of October 2022.
The exciting new course, which has been validated by the University of Derby and supported by the Ministry of Defence, is for military personnel who would like to serve the local communities in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
PC Steven Van Der Bank, aged 37, served as a mechanical engineer in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and had completed a tour of Iraq before he decided to join Nottinghamshire Police.
Based in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, he works in response, meaning he can be sent across the county on a range of jobs including drug busts, traffic operations, and supporting vulnerable people.
He said: “The biggest thing that attracted me to the police was it is a uniform service just like the military. I felt like I was missing something in my life that the military gave me.
“I could survive in that environment and adapt very quickly. It still attracts me to this day. I have never got bored in policing because there are so many different departments.
“You can do three or four years in response than go into neighbourhood policing and then CID. The promotion opportunities are there. I am a single dad running my own home and it is very achievable, being a student, an officer and a family man all at the same time.”
Applicants will complete a four-week pre-learning course from November 21st, followed by a 12-week course through year one of the University of Derby approved Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA), starting in January 2023.
Read More: Brand new training programme to turn military service leavers into police officers
