Three-week training courses to prepare individuals to become either Police Community Support Officers or Contact Officers will launch before the end of the year and be delivered face-to-face in Bradford.

An information and enrolment event will be held at Bradford Eastbrook Court Job Centre, on Vicar Lane, on Friday, November 18 from 11am for people to learn more about the programmes and the job roles.

The training courses, known as Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) will be delivered by Realise, one of the UK’s leading training providers which also has adult education contracts in West Yorkshire.

The courses will be held at the Holme United Reformed Church Community Centre in Holme Wood, Bradford, just a mile away from Dudley Hill Police Station.

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Kate Riley, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “This training course is another away for people to gain the right skills and experience to prepare them for a job in the police.

“Contact Officers are the first port of call when dealing with the police as they take all the 999 and 101 calls and our Police Community Support Officers are the face of policing in our local neighbourhoods.

“West Yorkshire Police is keen to attract people from the local area who understand the communities they will serve.

“We are determined to improve diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace and in all that we do. A diverse workforce which brings different thinking, backgrounds, experiences, and upbringings will help us become more effective in preventing and reducing crime, keeping people safe and caring for victims.”

The training courses will compromise a variety of different modules including personal development for employability, working in a team, mental health awareness, equality and diversity, cyber security and safeguarding.

Gregg Scott, Managing Director of Realise, said: “We are honoured to be supporting West Yorkshire Police in their efforts to recruit additional officers and will be utilising our strong connections in the regions with other stakeholders including the Department for Work and Pensions and Job Centre Plus.

“We have extensive experience of using SWAPs to deliver high-quality training to meet the immediate and future skills needs of employers and are confident we can support the requirements of West Yorkshire Police to produce job-ready candidates.

“We will leave no stone unturned to ensure we are attracting the best possible learners.

“As part of our ‘right learner, right programme’ ethos, interested individuals will take part in an initial assessment before the courses start to ensure they are suitable for the training and fully committed to it.

“We have then developed specific learning modules for the two job roles to ensure learners have the exact skills they need to excel in the position and progress to the next stage of the recruitment process.”

Any individual who successfully completes the three-week course will be offered additional support to help them progress through the recruitment process.