Law Enforcement and Protection Sector

This section provides information about careers in the armed services - Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force - as well as other uniformed services including the Police, traffic wardens, prison wardens, the Fire Brigade, Customs and the UK Border Agency. There are also links here to MI5 and MI6.

MI5 is responsible for protecting the United Kingdom against threats to national security, whilst MI6 is Britain’s ‘secret service’ providing the British Government with a global covert capability to promote and defend national security.

In addition, we provide links to other law enforcement and protection services in the private sector, (eg bodyguards, door-supervisors and store detectives, and look at the work of other public sector organisations operating in this area including environmental health.

Private sector organisations are also involved in prison management as well as prisoner escort and transfer duties.

It is also possible to work as a civilian in jobs with the Ministry of Defence. Find out more here.

Check out the professional bodies own entries in the Profession Finder

Jobs and salaries:

Look at the range of employment opportunities available in this sector as well as detailed job profiles and other careers information .

Pay rates in the Forces can be found here.

Find information about working as a police officer and rates of pay here.

A job in the Fire Brigade?

If you’re interested in working as a Traffic Warden you should contact your Local Authority or visit this site.

Routes and qualifications:

The route into almost of these jobs is direct, in other words no particular professional qualification is needed before you start work; training and, in some cases, qualification arise from doing the job.
However, for many of the roles in this sector you will have to meet certain ‘eligibility criteria’. See the eligibility criteria to join the Metropolitan Police (London) for example here.

See the eligibility criteria for the Armed Services.

In the police service every police cadet goes through the same basic training and a two-year probationary period working on the beat as a patrol constable.

See what’s required to join the UK Border Agency responsible for securing the UK borders and controlling migration in the UK.

If you’re interested in working in security in the private sector you might want to visit this Home Office/Security Industry Authority site.

See the routes into the prison service and into becoming a store detective.

Funding:

The Army offers various bursaries and grants to people looking to join. The navy has similar arrangements in place.The RAF offers support to potential officers and runs an apprenticeship scheme.

What's it like working in this sector?

Find out more about what you might expect if you work in this sector.

How big is this sector?

Britain spends around £38bn on defence. See other facts about the size and composition of Britain’s Armed Services.

The Prison Service looks after around 84,000 prisoners - find out more here.

Where can I work?

MI5 and MI6 are headquartered in London.

Members of the Armed Services are deployed in many other parts of the world as well as in the UK and Afganistan.

There are 140 prisons across the UK – see the locations here.
http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/resourcecentre/estate_map/ Border Agency staff work at all ports and airports in the country.

What do employers look for?

Many of these jobs – but no means all of them – are, of course, physically demanding.

This link offers more details about the particular requirements of the principal jobs in this sector.