Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship Route (PCDA)

Are you looking for a career like no other? Do you want the opportunity to study for a degree while gaining hands-on experience from day one? If so, join West Midlands Police through our Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) programme.

As a Police Constable, you’ll play a vital role in keeping our communities safe, protecting the vulnerable, and tackling crime. This is a challenging but hugely rewarding career where no two days are the same.

If you already have an active application to become a Police Officer, please do not submit another. You can log into Oracle to check the progress of your existing application. If you were successful in becoming a Police Officer within the past 3 months, please do not reapply. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept new applications if you were unsuccessful within the past 3 months.

About the PCDA Programme

• Earn & Learn, you’ll be a fully employed police officer from day one, while studying towards a Level 6 Degree in Professional Policing Practice over three years.
• Blended Learning, most of your training will be delivered in-house at West Midlands Police, supported by a partner university. Classroom learning will be combined with frontline policing and digital study.
• Ongoing Support, training is practical and designed to prepare you for real-life policing, with guidance from experienced officers.
• Future Opportunities, once you’ve completed your probation, you’ll have access to a wide range of career paths, from specialist units such as Firearms, Dogs, Roads Policing, and Investigations, to progression into leadership roles.

Please note: This is not a direct Detective route. However, after initial training, you may apply to join our Detective Academy pathway.

What’s in it for you?

• Starting salary: £31,164.00 , rising annually up to £50,256.00 within seven years.
• BA Degree in Professional Policing Practice (on successful completion).
• 25 days’ annual leave, rising to 30 after five years.
• Extensive benefits, including a pension scheme, employee support, staff networks, and professional development opportunities. See our benefits webpage for more details.
• A career that matters – make a lasting impact on communities while developing your skills and future.

Who can apply?

You must have:

• Level 2 English (Grade C/4 or above) AND
• One of the following:
  • Level 3 qualification worth at least 80 UCAS points, OR
  • Level 4 or 5 qualification

Only final certificates will be accepted – these must be uploaded with your application.

Fitness, Medical & Vetting 

• Must meet the bleep test standard of 5.4.
• Must pass medical checks, which may include drug and fitness testing.
• Must pass our required vetting checks. See our Vetting FAQ for more information.

Residency & Nationality

• Lived in the UK for the past 3 years.
• Must be a British or EEA national, or have the right to work in the UK without restrictions.

Application Process

• Our careers website provides a step-by-step breakdown of the application process.
• Training & Probation, a three-year blended learning apprenticeship combining policing experience with academic study.

About Us

West Midlands Police is the second-largest police force in the country, serving the three major cities of Birmingham, Coventry, and Wolverhampton, alongside the districts of Sandwell, Walsall, Solihull, and Dudley.

 Against this backdrop, the force handles more than 2,000 emergency calls every day, while patrolling the streets and responding to incidents 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We have made significant improvements in reducing overall crime, improving call response times, and increasing arrest rates. This work can only continue with the right people, therefore as an employer of choice, we are looking for the right people who can serve and protect our communities.