PSNI Launch New Recruitment Drive

The PSNI has launched a new recruitment campaign, aiming to hire up to 400 new student officers.

Announcing the recruitment drive, Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said: "This week sees the Police Service of Northern Ireland mark 20 years as an organisation. During this time, we have witnessed immense change not only within our Service but also as a society.

"The theme of this campaign is 'Make it a Career' and that's exactly what we want people who are considering a career in policing to do. As we approach the 20th Anniversary of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, we want to focus on the future and the next generation of people who want to dedicate their careers to serving their local community.

"Policing is constantly changing and evolving and so are the requirements and demands of our police officers and police staff. Over the last few years, we have seen innovation in technology being introduced across our Service, which means that the very nature of how we keep people safe is constantly shifting.

"Anyone considering joining the Police will on completion of their 21 week training programme also be awarded an Advanced Diploma in Policing (Level 5), which is an undergraduate qualification accredited by Ulster University.

"The Police Service of Northern Ireland is looking for talented, dedicated people from all backgrounds and walks of life who can offer a wide range of skills. We are committed to being representative of the communities we serve and I would encourage anyone who is interested in a career in policing to log onto www.joinpsni.co.uk  to find out more details."

A multi-media advertising campaign will run for three weeks and will include a range of adverts including targeted online, radio and outdoor.

The closing date for applications is Friday 19th November at 12 noon.

To apply, log on to joinpsni.co.uk where you will find everything you need to know about the application process. The website will also provide an insight into life as a Police Constable and what you can expect during and following your 21-weeks of training at the Police College, Garnerville. You can also follow @PoliceCollegeNI on Twitter to get an insight into the journey of current student officers as they work towards the completion of their training.

The Recruitment Process is as follows:

Police Service of Northern Ireland Recruitment Partner, Deloitte manages the initial three stages of the Recruitment Process which are Online Application Form, Online Initial Selection Test and Assessment Centre. 

Firstly applicants must complete an online Application Form which is split into two stages and begins with Guidance Notes that will help applicants with their application. Applicants must agree with the principles outlined in the Guidance notes section before they can proceed to Stage 1 of the application process. Stage 1 of the online application form requires applicants to confirm that they meet the minimum requirements to apply which are:

• Age: You can apply from the age of 17. However, on appointment, you must have reached the age of 18 years and be no more than 57 years by 19th November 2021

• Nationality: Applicants must be eligible to work permanently in the UK.

• Education: Applicants must have a minimum of 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) at A*–C grade, including English Language.

• Computer Literacy: Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have the level of computer literacy required to effectively perform the role of a Constable. This will be tested at a number of stages in the recruitment process but there is no requirement for a formal IT qualification

Stage 2 of the online application form is where the applicant will enter personal details and complete the Equality Monitoring Form.

When the fully completed application form is received it will be reviewed thoroughly and if the applicant meets the eligibility requirements they will receive an email containing a unique link to the Online Initial Selection Test (IST). The applicant can then complete this test at any time during the defined period that the online IST will be open for this recruitment campaign. The email will clearly outline this time line.

The online IST is made up of two assessments especially designed for this recruitment process; a situational judgement test and a verbal reasoning assessment. The Situational Judgement Test will assess the applicant's ability in exercising judgement and making decisions in work based scenarios. The Verbal Reasoning Assessment is designed to assess the applicant's ability to understand a short passage of text.

The applicant will have only one opportunity to complete the test so we would advise the applicant to wait until they are fully prepared before starting the IST. You should also be aware that the IST will be re-tested at Assessment Centre.

If the applicant passes the Online IST, they will be given an appointment to attend an Assessment Centre. The Assessment Centre requires the applicant to take on the role of a Constable and consists of a number of different exercises (including written exercises and role plays, a re-test of the IST, as well as assessing competence in technology). The Assessment Centre is designed to assess the applicant against the personal behaviours for a Constable.

Successful Assessment Centre candidates will be included on the merit list forwarded from our Recruitment Partner, Deloitte to the Police Service who will then commence the next stages of the recruitment process which are Vetting, Online Learning, Physical Competence Assessment(PCA), Medical and Substance Misuse Test.

You must successfully complete and pass each stage for your application to proceed. When all stages are completed appointable candidates are invited to training in Merit Order.