NEW Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA)

  • Cleveland Police UK
  • Feb 19, 2026
Full time Government

Job Description

Title: NEW Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA)

Location: UK

Company: Cleveland Police UK

POLICE CONSTABLE DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP (PCDA)

Please note this application is for PCDA only, if you do not make our next available PCDA cohort, we will not be able to transfer your application to PCEP.

Have you ever thought of being a Police Constable? With a starting salary of £31,164 plus a large variety of benefits, staff associations and generous pension scheme, there may never have been a better time to join. Interested? Please apply below!

The Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) is a mixture of academic classroom-based theory and on-the-job learning. You will be a Police Constable from day one and will be learning while you earn, gaining a (BSc) Hons degree in Professional Policing Practice at Teesside University.

Throughout your training you will need to complete operational and academic assessments. Academic assessments include exams, essays and presentations.

Throughout your training, you'll undertake a number of operational deployments including:

  • Response - this involves responding to emergency calls from the public and going out to the scene of the incident
  • Neighbourhood policing - this involves working with a neighbourhood policing team who are dedicated to policing a certain community or area.
  • Investigations - using all the tools available to you both office based and out in the community.

Eligibility

To become a Police Officer via PCDA

  • Be 17 years of age or older (you must be 18 by the time you are appointed)
  • Be a British Citizen, an EC/EEA national, Commonwealth citizen or foreign national with no restrictions on your stay in the United Kingdom
  • Hold a full UK car manual driving licence, with 6 months driving experience when appointed
  • Level 2 in both English & Maths grade c or above (or grade 4 to 9)
  • Level 3 qualification (or working towards one) equating to at least 80 UCAS points
  • Have lived in the UK for over 3 years
  • Be able pass the vetting requirements
  • Not have tattoos on your hands, neck, forearms or face that could be offensive
  • Not be registered bankrupt (or have bankruptcy debts that have been discharged within the past three years). If you have any other outstanding and unmanageable debts, please contact us for more information
  • Be able to pass a job-related fitness test
  • Be able to pass a medical assessment

Please note that higher educational qualifications such as a degree cannot be used in place of the Level 2 qualifications.

Joining the police force is truly life changing. Not just for you - but for all the people and communities you serve. You'll gain front line experience investigating crime, patrolling the local community, helping vulnerable people, interviewing suspects, giving evidence in court, keeping the peace at events, educating young people.

Recruitment Process

  • Application
  • Eligibility/Initial Shortlisting
  • National Sift
  • Online Assessment Centre
  • Final In-Force Interview
  • Pre-employment Checks
  • University Sign-up
  • Formal Offer

Please note you will also be required to attend an engagement briefing session during the recruitment process.

For more information on joining Cleveland Police please read the attached guidance document

For frequently asked question please click here

Should you not meet the requirements above we will be required to decline your application.

We are only running a small number of cohorts for each route so should you be interested in a specific programme then please be aware any pre-agreed time off during your initial training will not be agreed and it won't be possible to defer.

If you already have a live application with Cleveland Police and would be interested in being considered for PCDA then please email to discuss.

Please do not apply if you if you were rejected at any point during the recruitment process within the last 3 months. If you have failed vetting previously you will need to wait 12 months before reapplying from the date the unsuccessful vetting was issued.

Cleveland Police is committed to improving the diversity of its workforce to better reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from all minority groups and individuals who identify with one or more of the protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010. All appointments will be made on merit.