One of the top climbers in the 2005 The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers survey this year was the Police Force, which rose from 36th place to 20th.

The Force attributes this success to its High Potential Development (HPD) programme, a demanding and rewarding scheme introduced three years ago, which fast-tracks graduate talent into leadership roles.

Applications are open to any police officer, who is then subjected to a rigorous assessment process. Officers in the programme take on operational roles in important policing assignments. Assessment is rigorous and not all participants make the grade each year.

Financial support is generous, and promotion can be quick: recruits on the scheme receive sponsorship of up to £6,000 for ongoing education, and can reach Chief Inspector rank within 7 years, and Superintendent within 8 or 9. The salary at this level is just reward for all the hard work involved in getting there, at £53,046.

Sir Hugh Orde, Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, is the spokesperson for The Police National Assessment Centre. In welcoming The Times’ survey results, he highlighted that the police force offers graduates opportunities to serve and to face challenges that few other careers do, "ranging from international terrorism, and the serious disorder currently so graphically displayed in my world (Northern Ireland), through to community policing."

One prominent graduate of the scheme is Parm Sandhu, of the Metropolitan Police Force, Britain’s highest-ranking female Asian officer. In addition to her operational duties, she is responsible for Women and Policing and Women’s Needs in the Diversity Directorate at New Scotland Yard.

She praises the peer and mentor support that’s available to police officers: "Behind the scenes in the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service), you’ll find both official and unofficial mentors, plus groups of people who just act as an informal support network for each other. So straight away, you’re part of that wider family."

Annie Hon, 24, is another police officer who joined the force and later passed the rigorous assessment process to be accepted onto the HPD – an outstanding achievement, which has set her on the path to reach Chief Inspector rank within seven years.

She says: “The HPD scheme adds value to my day job by encouraging me to be aware of all the different aspects of policing even whilst on the beat.

"I’ve attended many emergency incidents which really opened my eyes to the reality of front-line policing. I believe such experience is important if you’re going to go on to become a credible manager."

Mentoring and career development are big features of the programme: "My Chief Inspector has been immensely supportive of my ambitions, and together with my mentor has helped me to draw up a clear career development plan."

Read Annie's case study here.

Around 375 police officers up and down the UK are currently participating in the HPD scheme. If you’d like to find out more about joining them, click here.