Twelve new police officer recruits - including a beauty therapist and a chef – became the first to pass out in Cambridgeshire for 2022.
The new officers were welcomed to the force by chief constable Nick Dean and police and crime commissioner Darryl Preston.
They included a beauty therapist, a chef, a florist and a children’s kung fu instructor.
Seven will now be based at Thorpe Wood Police Station in Peterborough, three at Parkside in Cambridge and two at Huntingdon Police Station.
The officers joined under the Initial Policing Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP), which is being phased out, and all new recruits will now join under one of two new routes – the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) or the Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP).
The former gives candidates the chance to study for a funded degree while earning and learning on the job, while the latter gives those with a degree the opportunity to convert it into a graduate diploma in Professional Policing Practice.
After meeting each of the new police officers as they stood in formation outside force HQ, Mr Dean spoke to them as a group inside.
He said: “They are beginning a unique career in policing. One which is exciting, varied, ever more complex and challenging but equally a career that presents itself with huge opportunities. Opportunities to make a real difference to people’s lives.
“You have all joined with different experiences, different skills, ideas and approaches. We have employed you for what you bring to the constabulary.
“Diversity in all its forms, diversity of thought, ideas, and experience enriches our policing family and supports the communities it serves.
“Just as you will learn from your colleagues, we will also learn from you, learning never stops.”
There is still time to sign up for online events we’re holding as part of National Apprenticeship Week.
They will focus on the PCDA and will be held on Wednesday (February 9) and Friday, between 10am and 11.30am.
Sign up here https://tri-force.tal.net/.../can.../jobboard/vacancy/3/adv/
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