Education, Training and Learning in Policing in England and Wales

This report is a review of the literature on education, training and learning in policing and the findings from a set of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with one N8 policing partner organisation exploring their thinking on current and future education, training and learning needs as individuals and as an organisation within the context of the rapidly changing national picture, specifically the College of Policing, Policing Education Qualification Framework (especially the proposed Level 7 higher degree qualification) and the introduction by the Government of degree apprenticeships. It is intended to help inform future developments of the Teaching and Learning strand of the N8 PRP and to provide useful data to the N8 policing partners on the current training and learning practices and future considerations in this area. The driver behind the research project was the growing emphasis on the professionalisation of policing in the UK, exemplified by the introduction of the Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF) by the College of Policing in 2016.
This report is structured around three sections:
1. a background and literature review
2. in-depth, semi-structured interview findings with one police force in the N8 PRP
3. conclusions
A review of the literature carried out at the beginning of the project mapped the field and identified issues relevant for the development of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with one N8 policing partner. This policing partner was selected based on evidence of significant engagement with training, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and higher education (HE) at Level 6, Level 7 and above