THE University of Cumbria is supporting a national effort to recruit thousands of new police officers. The university has joined three other institutions to create a special public sector partnership to help deliver 20,000 additional officers by 2023. Together, they have formed the Police Education Consortium to deliver policing apprenticeships and Degree Holder Entry Programmes (DHEPs) to new recruits joining three forces across south-east England. The University of Cumrbia s police apprenticeship is led by senior lecturer and retired police officer Stephen Wright. It welcomed its first cohort in March 2020. This week, during National Apprenticeship Week 2021, University of Cumbria is preparing to welcome its first students who are joining the ranks of Hampshire Police, increasing student numbers to 268.