A corporal who is leaving the Royal Engineers to become a police officer says he is looking forward to fulfilling another lifelong dream.

Christopher Wagstaff will soon be embarking on a new career with Nottinghamshire Police, having enrolled onto a brand-new training programme designed to turn military leavers into cops.

Nottinghamshire Police and the University of Derby recently launched the country’s first scheme to provide a direct employment pathway for those in their military resettlement period to join the police service.

Held at RAF Cranwell, the 12-week pilot course – called The Military Service Leavers Pathway into Policing programme – is part of an employment pathway to fast-track entrants through year one of the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA).

The new entry route has been validated by the University of Derby, which is providing the teaching for the programme, and is supported by the Ministry of Defence.

Cpl Wagstaff, 33, who served in a bomb disposal unit within the Royal Engineers, said he loved his time in military and was now fulfilling another lifelong dream by joining the police.

He said: “I have always wanted to be a police officer from a very young age. Watching programmes such as The Bill in my early teens really reinforced this.

“I like helping people and I feel I have done this in the Army. Now I would like to directly help the people of the county and community I live in.

“I feel now I have the life experience to be a good officer and will have plenty of knowledge and skills to rely on. I definitely want this to be my career till I retire and hope to work in the roads policing team.”

The married dad-of-two, from Mansfield, whose unit was predominantly based at Carver Barracks, near Saffron Walden, said the skills he gained during his military career transfer well into the police service.

“I think anyone from the military is well-suited to the police service,” he said. “No matter what your role is, you work as a team and that’s certainly applicable to being a police officer. There’s also the discipline side of things – as military service leavers, that’s something we all have.”

Elliott Atkin, an aircraft engineer in the Royal Navy, is also preparing for a new career at Nottinghamshire Police after being in the military for 11 years, including a seven-year stint with the Royal Marines.

His service included a spell as a Signaller onboard HMS Bulwark – a role that saw him travel all over the world and help tackle the 2014-15 migrant crisis in the Mediterranean Sea.

The 31-year-old said: “I loved every minute of being in the military but the time came when I wanted to move closer to home as I’ve now got a wife and two young children.

“I’d been thinking about joining the police for a while. The training is full on but I’m loving every minute of it.

“I’m looking forward to using the skills I gained in the military to serve communities in Nottinghamshire and help people.”

The Military Service Leavers Pathway into Policing programme was officially launched at RAF Cranwell on Wednesday (8 March 2023).

Delegates included Nottinghamshire Police Chief Constable Kate Meynell, who said skills gained from a career in the military were both valuable and transferable into the police service.

“We recognise that individuals who have served with the armed services possess valuable skills that can be transferred across to policing or serve as a foundation on which to build additional skills,” said CC Meynell.

“Already used to the demands of a disciplined service, colleagues from the armed services understand and are committed to serving the public, bringing with them a wide range of practical skills, for example medical and negotiator training.

“We are extremely proud to be the first in the country to launch this exciting new pathway and I look forward to the first cohort joining us as police constables over the coming months.”

The first cohort of military service leavers are due to finish the 12-week course at the end of March 2023. They will then commence as a police constable with Nottinghamshire Police in June 2023 in the second half of year one of the University of Derby approved Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA), which usually takes three years to complete.

Professor Lynn Saunders OBE, Head of the School of Law and Social Sciences at the University of Derby, said: “We have worked closely with our policing partners to develop this innovative course for military service leavers.

“It draws on the academic expertise of our experienced policing team to provide the opportunity for participants to fast-track the first year of the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship. We are proud of our delivery team for their achievements in supporting this new route for military service leavers.”

The Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families, Dr Andrew Murrison, said it was an innovative and exciting programme.

He said: “This fantastic opportunity for our service leavers with Nottinghamshire Police is recognition of the skills that our personnel gain whilst in the military.

“We continue to prioritise the support to our veterans and service leavers, and I’m delighted to see this opportunity which will allow them to continue serving their country.”

Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said: “Nottinghamshire Police has a strong track record on recruitment and this new military pathway is just one example of thinking outside the box and finding new ways to attract new talent to the force

“Military service leavers have a lot of the skills we want in police officers and the life experience, professionalism and teamwork they will bring with them will be invaluable.

“Nottinghamshire Police is a veteran-friendly organisation which is signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant and already has 110 ex-servicepeople working for the force, who joined through the traditional route. This will only strengthen that bond with the Armed Forces.

“Following this initial pilot course, a number of other forces across England and Wales are interested in adopting the scheme as they can see the real potential it offers.”

Commissioner Henry also gave an update on the scheme to Minister of State for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer when she met him in the Cabinet Office last month.