Making time to learn: Developing the policing workforce amid rising demand

Across policing, rising demand, increasing complexity of crime, heightened public scrutiny, and persistent resource constraints often mean environments in which time to respond is limited. In this context, it is often difficult to prioritise protected learning time that ensures those in the workforce are progressing their skills or keeping up with new standards and developments in best practice (such as the recent news that police officers may need to keep an up-to-date license which may be dependent on mandatory training requirements).

At the same time, the need for a skilled, confident, and professionally developed workforce has never been greater, and neither has the need to provide learning and progression pathways that attract and retain talent into policing. For leaders and learning and development (L&D) professionals in policing, the challenge is how learning can realistically be sustained alongside workloads, without placing an unfair burden for those working in operational and non-operational roles.

Trading one challenge for another

When demand and workload take precedence, protected learning time or formal learning and development programmes are often looked at as having some flexibility. But a balance should be struck so that the skills of the workforce are continuously being developed in order to enable individuals to produce better outcomes for service users.

A short-term approach to meeting demand risks quietly creating longer-term challenges, such as:

• Skills gaps widen, particularly in specialist and high-risk areas
• Skills development loses momentum
• Practice becomes inconsistent across teams and roles
• Productivity and efficiency worsen due to lack of skills progression
• Staff become disengaged and burnout increases
• Forces become more reactive than resilient.

The value of regulated learning in the policing sector

Regulated qualifications and frameworks offer assurance, consistency, and credibility in a demanding professional environment. They ensure that individuals have the skills they need to match demand for services now and into the future.

For policing, regulated learning helps to:

• Maintain national standards across roles, functions, and forces
• Provide confidence to leaders, inspectors, and the public that learning is robust and fit for purpose
• Support professionalisation, reinforcing policing as a skilled and accountable profession
• Create clear progression pathways for officers and staff
• Manage risk, particularly in areas where knowledge, judgement, and ethics are critical.

Learning as an embedded activity

Learning is an essential part of any public service role, but it can sometimes be seen as separate from the day-to-day job, requiring time away from duties or additional workload.

In reality, effective learning when designed well can be embedded into everyday roles, aligned with existing responsibilities, and evidenced through real practice.

This is where regulated learning can be deployed. Rather than adding another demand, it can provide a framework that recognises and structures the learning that already takes place on the job.

Practical ways to make learning work under pressure

For leaders and (L&D) professionals, the question becomes: how do we make learning achievable and sustainable for learners in the current climate?

Below are some practical approaches that many policing organisations are already using to good effect.

1. Build learning into existing activity
   Not all learning requires dedicated training days. Reflective practice, case reviews, supervision discussions, briefings, and operational debriefs all represent valuable learning opportunities. These activities can contribute towards qualifications, allowing officers and staff to evidence competence through real work, rather than duplicating effort.
2. Use flexible, modular approaches
   Large blocks of learning can be difficult to release people for. Modular qualifications and smaller units of learning allow development to be spread over time, fitting around operational peaks and troughs. This flexibility makes learning more manageable for individuals and easier to plan for at an organisational level.
3. Equip line managers to support learning
   Line managers know what the workloads and circumstances of their people are and they can help make sure there is time and focus on learning and skills progression. Managers who understand the importance of continuous learning and development are better placed to support it through planning, encouragement, and realistic expectations, and it’s important they are engaged and advocating for learning and development programmes.
4. Plan learning around operational reality
   One-size-fits-all delivery models rarely work in policing. Learning plans should account for shift patterns, workload pressures, and the unpredictable nature of demand. This may mean flexible timelines, blended delivery, or alternative evidence methods.
5. Link learning to progression and workforce planning
   Learning is most effective when individuals can see where it leads. Mapping regulated learning to career pathways, specialist roles, and leadership development helps to motivate engagement and supports long-term workforce capability. For organisations, this alignment strengthens succession planning and resilience.

The role of awarding organisations

Beyond setting standards, we work alongside centres and forces to help interpret requirements, adapt delivery models, and maintain quality in complex environments.

By collaborating closely with policing partners, awarding organisations can help ensure that learning remains rigorous, relevant, and achievable, supporting both individual development and organisational priorities.

Invest time now to save time later

The pressures facing policing are real and unlikely to diminish, but effective learning and development can help increase the skills that are a core enabler and management tool for meeting the demands of the policing workforce.

Regulated learning supports confident decision-making, consistent practice, and professional resilience. It is an essential mechanism for ensuring staff have industry-leading skills and knowledge, helping policing organisations not only respond to today’s challenges, but prepare for those still to come.

For leaders and L&D professionals, the challenge is to rethink how learning is embedded into the working lives of those who serve and how to balance workloads with skills and workforce development. The investment made now is one that pays dividends in capability, confidence, and public trust.