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Jobs and Careers

Security and armed forces

This type of job involves protecting individuals, the public, organisations or the country as a whole. You need to be able to keep calm in a crisis!

Opportunities
On the job
Getting in...
Skills
Pay
Industry info
Notts info
Links

MyChoiceNotts

Are you interested in getting a qualification in this area? Look for a course at local sixth forms and FE colleges on My Choice Notts(Nottinghamshire and just over the border). For higher education courses go to UCAS

Vacancies Online

Search for local job vacancies and Apprenticeship opportunities in the sector you're interested in.

Find out more about the Diploma in Public Services course here.

Working in the security or armed services sector can be very rewarding work. You might be rescuing people as a firefighter, searching for drugs as a police dog handler or flying fighter planes!

Job areas for the justice sector include the prison service, police force, security work or victim support . You might be suited to a job in this work area if you're able to cope with what might sometimes be upsetting, difficult or dangerous situations. It's a myth that you need to be tough or a man to do this sort of work - but you do need to be reliable.

In most jobs, you'll work as part of a team and will often have to work unsociable hours - you may also have to wear a uniform. For many of the jobs you'll get training as you work and for some of them you won't need formal qualifications; however, you may need to pass various entry tests.

How can you get into this type of work?

Your Personal Adviser will be able to discuss your options with you.

School or college - study for GCSEs, AS / A levels, a diploma, NVQs or other vocational qualifications that could lead to a job, an Apprenticeship, further qualifications or even a degree.

e2e (Entry to Employment) - if you’re not sure if you’re suited to this job you might be able to get some work experience through e2e. It can also give you extra support to gain the right qualifications, get onto a training programme or get a job.

Apprenticeship - train ‘on-the-job’ with a wage or allowance. For the latest Apprenticeship vacancies in Nottinghamshire go to Vacancies Online.

Work or work with training

What else can I do?

Get some work experience.
Brush up on some of your skills such as team work or customer care.
Read about working in security and the armed forces on Jobs4U or look for the online EClips job descriptions in your school or nearest Connexions centre.
Talk to your Personal Adviser.

As well as qualifications, employers also look for the skills
people have when they’re applying for jobs. Here are the
skills that most employers are looking for from you:

Communication
Team work
Customer care
ICT
Physical fitness (for some jobs)

Specific skills gaps in the justice sector include customer awareness, team working, science, communication and literacy and ICT skills.

Skills

ICT
Communication and literacy
Self management
Team working
Problem solving
Business and customer awareness
Numeracy
Maths

Wages will vary depending on where in the country you work and between different organisations.

Job Title	Average weekly salary *	Average annual salary
Police officers (Inspector and above)	£1129.40	£58,729
Senior fire, police or prison officer	£842.90	£43,831
Probation officer	£543.00	£28,236
Fire service officer	£517.30	£26,900
Police officer	£740.60	£38,511
Prison service officer	£492.00	£25,584
Security guard	£387.20	£20,134

Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, ONS 2009

*Based on gross pay (before you have anything deducted) and not including overtime.

Note: this doesn't include self-employed

What’s happening in the industry?

Armed Forces
The Armed Forces are facing skills shortages at the moment and struggle to recruit and keep people. The main skill shortages are in defence medical services, logistics, engineering, aircrew, submariners and royal signals.

Justice sector
Social changes such as the need to deal with anti-social behaviour and changes to legislation are two of the factors that affect the way this sector is driven.

Around one third of people who work in the justice sector (the police, courts and prison service) are expected to retire or leave over the next ten years; this could add up to over 140,000 vacancies¹. Fewer administrative staff will be needed in the police force and the number of qualified police officers will go down as they are replaced with civilian beat officers who will not necessarily have the power to arrest. In the prison service, the number of females employed is expected to grow.

Skills gaps in the justice sector include customer awareness, team working, science, communication and literacy and ICT skills.

Source: Skills for Justice 2008

Like most sectors, this area of work needs to replace people who are retiring so there will be a demand for young people to join the various industries.

See the 'Notts Info' section for what's happening locally.

1. Skills for Justice 2010

Did you know?

Wages for jobs in the justice sector (which includes legal and courts services) is 50% higher than the national average?

(Skills for Justice)

There are about 12,000 people employed in security and the armed forces in Nottinghamshire. Around 8,000 of these work in Nottingham and the surrounding area.This includes people working in private security, the police force, fire service, justice and the armed forces.

Source: Annual Business Inquiry 2008, ONS.

In there are around 360 people working in forensics. All of these jobs are based within the police force as there are no commercial providers for this field in the region.

Key employers in this sector:

Armed Forces

Nottingham (Chilwell)

Police

Headquarters in Nottingham (Arnold), there are local police stations in most areas.

Fire Service

Headquarters in Nottingham (Bestwood), local fire stations in main towns.

Justice

Crown Court (Nottingham)

County and Magistrate Courts (Nottingham, Mansfield, Newark and Worksop). Magistrate Court only in Retford

Prisons at Ranby, Whatton, Lowdham and Nottingham

Youth Offending Service (Nottingham, New Ollerton, Worksop, Newark, Mansfield)