CNC AFOs from IFP 106 graduate after 19-week programme

Thinking about a policing career or teaching uniformed services? Here’s a clear look at how the Civil Nuclear Constabulary trains Authorised Firearms Officers. According to the CNC’s update on GOV.UK, two passing out parades for Initial Foundation Programme 106 took place in Oxfordshire and Cumbria, marking the end of a demanding 19‑week course.

First, the acronyms you’ll meet. The Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) is the armed police force for the UK’s civil nuclear industry. Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs) are the officers trained and accredited to carry firearms. IFP stands for Initial Foundation Programme-the course that prepares recruits for the role.

What do the 19 weeks look like? It’s a residential programme built around two strands: Policing Skills and Firearms. Recruits work through structured lessons, practical scenarios and assessments that test judgement, communication and safe weapon handling. The goal, the CNC says, is to build the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for armed policing at sensitive sites.

People arrive from different backgrounds, including Home Office police forces and the armed forces, and some with no prior exposure to firearms. Families and friends joined CNC colleagues to celebrate their progress at Griffin Park in Cumbria and at the Oxfordshire ceremony-moments that show how much change can happen in just a few months.

Assistant Chief Constable Kerry Smith, who hosted the Cumbria event, noted how far the students had come, describing them as highly trained professionals joining the constabulary. At the Oxfordshire parade, Chief Superintendent Sheree Owen said the cohort had learnt core policing skills they will carry into their sites, with a career of learning still ahead.

Graduation is the starting line. The new officers are being deployed to Operational Policing Units (OPUs) across England and Scotland. You’ll keep seeing this phrase in policing stories: learning and development. It means structured refreshers, scenario training and supervised practice that continues well beyond the parade ground.

If you’re based at an OPU in England, your next step is the CNC’s Non‑Home Office Police Officer Apprenticeship (NHOPOA). Over two years, apprentices work towards an End Point Assessment (EPA). When all elements are passed, they gain their accreditation and are recommended for confirmation in rank at the end of their two‑year probation.

Everyone, wherever they serve, continues with regular training and annual fitness assessments so they remain ready for duty. In simple terms: you keep skills sharp, evidence your competence, and meet agreed standards every year.

There are pathways to specialise as your career develops. Some officers will seek promotion through the ranks or apply for roles such as National Firearms Instructor (NFI), Strategic Escort Group (SEG), Police Medic or Police Dog Handler. Each requires extra training and assessment.

Studying this in class or planning your own route? Use this as a case study of how a modern police force builds capability: clear standards, progressive training and a recognised apprenticeship leading to EPA. To learn about applying as a CNC AFO, check the CNC Jobs website listed by the CNC in its announcement.