Digital Forensic Apprenticeships

Modern apprenticeships are a way for people of any age to do a job and work towards a qualification while being paid a salary.

The Digital Forensics Level 4 Apprenticeship has been developed to provide a way into a career in digital forensics. It is a tailored course of training that will give new employees the skills needed to support the ever-growing requirement for digital forensics expertise.

Apprenticeships are offered and advertised by employers in the same way as other jobs.

The apprenticeship standard will be published on the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education website.

The first cohort started in July 2024 and the second in October 2024. This page will include updates on the progress of the first apprentices and information for forces interested in recruiting apprentices for future cohorts.

The Level 7 Advanced digital forensic practitioner Apprenticeship has been developed for those already working in digital forensics. It is a 36 month integrated degree qualification and is now accepting applications for early 2025.

Digital Forensic Apprenticeships

Level 4 DF Technician Apprenticeship for employers

Apprenticeships are a great way to bring new talent into your organisation or to develop the abilities of existing staff. The DF apprenticeship has been developed with a group of employers (including police forces, forensic service providers and professional bodies) to encourage more people to consider a career in DF. You will be responsible for paying your apprentices and supporting them. Their training will be paid for from your Apprenticeship Levy – there are other options if your organisation doesn’t pay the Levy or you've used all of your Levy funds..

Factsheet available here

Level 4 DF Technician Apprenticeship for employees

The apprenticeship has been developed to help people like you to start a career in digital forensics. Apprenticeships are open to anyone over the age of 18 and there is no upper limit. You will spend approximately 20% of your time engaged in learning activities. During your apprenticeship you will be a full employee of the organisation you work for.

Level 4 DF Technician Apprenticeship for students

Factsheet available here

FCN Workplace mentor guidance

Guidance document available here

Digital Forensic Technician Apprenticeship standard

The standard can be accessed here

Level 7 Digital Forensic Professional Apprenticeship launched

The FCN and the digital forensic community have created a Level 7 Digital Forensic Professional Apprenticeship which has been approved for delivery by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. This apprenticeship has been designed for experienced digital forensic practitioners who are interested in future developing their knowledge and skills.

The standard is attached here Advanced digital forensic professional / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education

Cranfield University has now been accepted as a provider for this apprenticeship and are now accepting applications for the first cohort in early 2025. Details are attached here Advanced Digital Forensic Professional Apprenticeship

Police forces are currently able to use levy funding for this apprenticeship.

Please contact Dr Graeme Horsman (Cranfield University) Graeme.Horsman@cranfield.ac.uk or Jo Morrissey (FCN) Joanne.Morrissey@dorset.pnn.police.uk if you have any questions

What does Level 4 mean?

Apprenticeships come in various levels. The Digital Forensic Apprenticeship is a Level 4.

What is digital forensics?

Digital forensic science is a branch of forensic science that focuses on the recovery and investigation of material found in digital devices. Digital forensics is the process of identifying, preserving, analysing, and documenting digital evidence.

What if my organisation has used all its Apprenticeship Levy?

If you’ve used all of your Levy you can still take on apprenticeships. The govt will pay 95% of the training costs and you will need to meet the remaining 5%.

What if your organisation does pay the apprenticeship levy?

You’ll get funds to spend on training and assessing your apprentices. The government will add 10%.

Find out how to pay the apprenticeship levy.

Use your apprenticeships service account to manage funding and provider payments.

You cannot use funds from your apprenticeship service account to pay for a flexi-job apprenticeship agency’s services.

Employing an apprentice: Get funding for apprenticeship training - GOV.UK

What if my organisation doesn’t pay the Levy?

What funding you can get

You can get money to go towards the cost of training and assessment. The amount you get depends on whether you pay the apprenticeship levy or not.

Find out if you need to pay the apprenticeship levy.

If you do not pay the apprenticeship levy

You pay 5% towards the cost of training and assessing your apprentice. You need to:

agree a payment schedule with the training provider
pay them directly for the training

The government will pay the rest (95%) up to the funding band maximum. They’ll pay it directly to the training provider.

If your apprentice started before 1 April 2019, you contribute 10% towards the cost of training and assessing your apprentice and the government pays the rest (90%). This rate continues until your apprentice completes their training.

Use your apprenticeships service account to manage funding and provider payments.

The cost of training and assessing your apprentice could be fully funded, up to the funding band maximum, depending on both your and your apprentice’s circumstances. Check the funding rules to see if you’re eligible.

www.gov.uk

Can we change the content of the DF apprenticeship?

No. The content of an apprenticeship is set in advance and has to be adhered to. The order and format of the training will depend on the training provider.

Who delivers the training?

There is a list of Government approved providers here. Because there will be relatively low numbers of DF apprentices we anticipate training being provided on a regional basis.

Is it appropriate for young people to work within digital forensics units?

The TB Group considered the impact of viewing traumatic material on brain development and worked with the National Police Wellbeing Service to explore this. An evidenced based paper outlined that it was appropriate, however, a number of recommendations were made to protect those working with such material. The full paper can be accessed here.