Ellie Anderton-Brown
Level 3 Diploma in Uniformed Services (Armed Forces and Emergency Services)
“After being in the Army Cadets for years I thought I’d go straight in to the Army after Year 11. However, I dropped out at the last minute and decided to enrol on to the Level 3 public services course at college instead to see what else I could do within the industry and to weigh up my options.
Studying at college has been great. I’ve met lots of different people here and made some amazing new friends. When I first started I was a really quiet person but I’ve massively developed in confidence which is really going to help me in my future career.
My tutors are lovely and have always been really supportive of me. They actually encouraged me to continue studying at college and progress to the university-level public services course here. I’m so glad I did because it confirmed in my mind that I want to work in the police and you now need a degree to do so.
Getting accepted in to the police is a really lengthy process but there’s no doubt in my mind that the skills I’ve learned at college have given me the edge to stand out. I used the work I was doing in college in my application to volunteer with the Criminal Investigation Department as part of Derbyshire Police’s Support which has been a fantastic experience and a real eye opener when it comes to learning more about the policing industry. This experience looked great on my CV and was a big plus when I applied to join the police force.
I’m now going to ‘top up’ my HND to a full honours degree and I’ve got a couple more fitness tests to pass but I’m hoping to secure my position within Derbyshire Police next year.”