LJMU trains 2,000 justice professionals to fill UK skills gap
Liverpool John Moores University is to train more than 2,000 criminal justice professionals as the Ministry of Justice seeks to solve a shortage of probation and other staff dealing with offenders in the community.
The MoJ has already recruited 1,000 trainee officers nationally but many more are needed, particularly after the Government’s call for fewer offenders to be imprisoned.
LJMU’s School of Law and Justice Studies won the £10 million contract to train scores of staff as ‘apprentices’ over the next six years.
Working with HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), the university will take charge of training for the North West including Greater Manchester, Yorkshire & the Humber, the North East and the East & West Midlands.
The university will help train professionals across the criminal justice system: probation service officers, victim liaison officers, residential workers, enforcement officers, domestic abuse officers and community payback professionals.
Trainees will be employed by HMPPS and receive on the job training alongside university studies, as they complete programmes to level 3 – equivalent to A level, BTEC or IB.
LJMU is already delivering the level 6 Professional Qualification in Probation.
Professor Dan Silverstone, Director of Law and Justice Studies at LJMU, said: “This exciting development marks a significant expansion of our contribution to the professionalisation of the criminal justice workforce.
“The apprenticeship programme builds on our existing portfolio of professional training and reflects our commitment to supporting the next generation of practitioners in policing and probation.”
LJMU already plays a key role in probation training through its Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP) programme. Since 2022, the university has welcomed six cohorts of probation learners and successfully supported over 140 officers to graduation.
LJMU also hosts research into the probation system, producing reports on topics like Probation Reform, the impact of rehabilitation services, probation practice, and the wider criminal justice system. Recent major projects in this area include:
- Journeys to Harmful Behaviour (in collaboration with the Probation Institute and Forces in Mind)
- The ESRC-funded Rehabilitating Probation Project
LJMU will start delivering the new qualifications in March 2026.
A spokesperson for the HM Prison and Probation Service said the programme was a sustainable qualification for the future, which “develops staff and enhances our ability to deliver exceptional probation services.
“By investing in this qualification, we're ensuring that our staff are well-equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their roles. We're looking forward to seeing the positive impact this partnership will have on our organisation and the services we provide.
Added Professor Silverstone: “We cannot wait to open our doors to our local Probation Officers and support them on their journey to qualification.”
Image: Some of the 60 students who successfully completed probation training in the first cohort from the Bachelor of Arts in Community Justice and the Graduate Diploma in Community Justice, taught at LJMU’s School of Justice Studies.
