Continuing with our feature to profile different careers to help children and young make important decisions about their future career, this week we are featuring roles in Emergency and Uniform Services – Firefighter, Police Community Support Officer and a Paramedic.
Firefighter
Firefighters help to protect people from fire and other dangers and give advice on fire prevention.
You can get into this job through:
- a college course – a Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Public Services before applying to the fire serviced, although this is not essential.
- an apprenticeship
- applying directly
- a fire service training course
You’ll usually need:
- 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
You can find out more about a career as a Fire Fighter here.
Police Community Support Officers
Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) work in a neighbourhood policing team to help deal with and prevent crime.
You can get into this job through:
- an apprenticeship
- applying directly
You’ll need 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship.
You can find out more about a career as a Police Community Support Officer here.
Paramedic
Paramedics respond to emergency call-outs and give people life-saving medical help.
You can get into this work through:
- a university course – You’ll need to do a paramedic science degree approved by the Health and Care Professions Council. Full-time courses usually take 3 years. You may be able to get additional student financial support through the NHS Learning Support Fund.
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- apply for a trainee scheme
You’ll usually need 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree.
You can find out more about a career as a Paramedic here.