Eleven student officers will make history as Cambridgeshire Police’s latest recruits.

The new recruits will join the force under the police constable degree apprenticeship, receiving on-the-job training as they work towards a degree in professional policing practice.

Those officers are part of a passing out ceremony today (Monday), ahead of being deployed across the force.

The apprenticeship is part of the policing education qualifications framework (PEQF), as the 11 officers become the first to join Cambridgeshire police under the new programme.

Chief constable Nick Dean said: “It’s a landmark day for the Constabulary and our implementation of the PEQF, which has been described as the greatest change to policing for a generation.

“PEQF seeks to reflect the complexity and demands of modern-day policing and ensures new officers are appropriately skilled to meet demand.”

The force continues to recruit to the three-year degree apprenticeship, alongside the two-year degree holder entry programme (DHEP) for those who already have a degree.

The DHEP converts a degree into a graduate diploma in professional policing practice.

Mr Dean added: “Policing has changed and continues to do so; as such we must ensure our training reflects this.”