Police Community Support Officers Apprenticeship

Join Merseyside Police as a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Apprentice and take your first step into the world of policing. Merseyside Police has proudly been ranked 3rd in the Public Sector category of the UK’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers and is the only police force to feature in The Sunday Times Top 100 list.

Start your career in policing with a PCSO Apprenticeship and make a real difference in your community while earning and learning. Are you passionate about helping others? Interested in a career that’s both rewarding and impactful?

What You’ll Do:

As a PCSO Apprentice, you’ll work alongside trainers and experienced officers to:

• Engage with local communities to build trust and reduce crime
• Provide visible patrols to improve public safety
• Support vulnerable individuals and respond to incidents
• Gather intelligence and assist in investigations

What You’ll Learn:

Through a structured apprenticeship programme, you’ll gain:

• A nationally recognised qualification in community safety
• Practical policing skills and on-the-job experience
• Personal development and career progression opportunities

What We’re Looking For:

• Good communication and teamwork skills
• A genuine interest in community safety and public service

Entry Requirements:

• GCSE Grade E/2 (or above) in Maths and English Language
• Functional Skills Level 1 (or above) equivalent to Maths/English Language such as Application of Number and Communication
• Adult Numeracy / Literacy Level 1 (or above)

Please ensure you upload your certificate evidence of your qualifications in Maths and English Level 1 as we will not be able to progress your application without this. If your qualifications were obtained abroad, please ensure you upload a UK ENIC translation confirming equivalency.

What You’ll Receive:

• A competitive salary while you train
• Paid holidays, benefits, and pension contributions
• Full support from mentors and trainers
• A pathway into a long-term policing career

Salary & Hours:

• Salary: £27,204 to £29,859 plus 13.33% equalisation allowance after training (per annum).
• Holidays: 33 days holiday increasing with service to 38 days
• Hours: 36.5 per week

Benefits:

• Local Government Pension Scheme
• In-depth training at our Mather Avenue Training Centre.
• Continuous Professional Development
• Police Blue Light Card Discounts and perks
• Access to staff networks

Recruitment Process:

To apply for the role of PCSO, you will need to meet the minimum criteria as outlined on our PCSO information page under “Eligibility Criteria”. Details of the recruitment stages can be found on our PCSO information page. We are currently recruiting PCSO’s to start employment in 2026/2027.

Please provide 5 years employment/education history, explaining any gaps in employment, as part of the experience and education history section of your application form. We will use this information to obtain references upon conditional offer - with your permission.

You will be invited to complete National Sift via the College of Policing shortly after applying so please do ensure you monitor your emails and complete in a timely manner as interviews are expected to be consistently conducted with pre-employment checks including medical, vetting and biometrics being conducted shortly after. You will be contacted throughout the process from a DO NOT REPLY system email address but if you have any questions, please email careers@merseyside.police.uk