Image source: Nottinghamshire Police
Nottinghamshire Police has claimed a national first in providing an apprenticeship in digital forensics.
It said that 19-year-old Sam Roe joined the force in December and is learning about all aspects of digital investigation in a law enforcement setting.
He is working towards a level 4 qualification in digital forensics – defined as the process of identifying, preserving, analysing, and documenting digital evidence – with the apprenticeship running for two years.
Over that time he will work with a variety of digital investigation teams, utilising a range of hardware and software to support the extraction of evidence from devices such as mobile phones and computers to support all manner of investigations.
Among the teams is the force’s digital multimedia evidence unit, which specialises in gathering evidence from CCTV networks, drone footage, audio files and body worn video footage.
Nottinghamshire Police was the first force to advertise the digital forensic technician apprenticeship, which has been developed by Forensic Capability Network (FCN), the NPCC’s national network for forensic science in England and Wales.
Professional approvals
It has been approved by BCS - The Chartered Institute for IT, the Institute of Cyber Digital Investigation Professionals and the Chartered Institute for Information Security.
Blue Lights Digital is among the learning providers brought onboard to provide the necessary training.
Detective Inspector Mark Booth of Nottinghamshire Police’s digital and cyber team said: “I am really excited to be working with Sam in an aspect of policing in which recruitment and retention is particularly challenging.
“By leading the way, Nottinghamshire Police will be able to shape this education programme to ensure that the workforce of the future is able to provide the best possible service to our communities, who live increasing amounts of their lives online.”
Recruitment value
FCN’s Jo Morrissey, who has led on developing the apprenticeship, said: “This apprenticeship is a great way for police forces to recruit talent into their organisation and for people to access an exciting career in digital forensics.
“We’ve designed the qualification to give apprentices like Sam a great all round experience and the skills they need. We look forward to following the cohort’s progress as more apprentices join across the country.”
Roe commented: “Being on the team has been brilliant so far. I’ve been learning as much as I can so I can eventually help out.
“There are so many cyber criminals who are trying to steal data and sell it on. If I can help businesses and the public protect themselves from data breaches, I’ll find that really rewarding.”
