'South Yorkshire Police will always be on the lookout for new recruits'

When I was at school I knew very little about the sort of jobs there were and which ones I might be able to get.

My father worked in a factory that made typewriters and he told me I should follow him and work there as well.

He thought this would be a job for life. ‘People will always need typewriters’, he said.

But of course, he was wrong. Within a few years no one needed a typewriter because everyone was using a computer.

He lost his job as many others did at that time in industries that were no longer needed – like coal mining and steel making.

Fortunately I kept on at school, went to university and began to realise that the more you studied the more jobs opened up for you.

This is still true. No one knows what sort of jobs will be there once this virus has passed over and something like normal life returns.

One thing we do know, however, is that there will be jobs available in South Yorkshire police.

We will always need police officers, male and female, and over the next few years we will need rather a lot of new recruits.

In fact, we are going to need almost 1500 new police officers to replace those who are leaving and to fill new posts we are creating.

This is a fantastic opportunity to have a fantastic job.

You may be in uniform, driving a car with blue flashing lights.

You may be a detective in plain clothes solving crimes like burglaries.

You may be riding a horse or handling a dog.

You may be doing work on the internet.

There are so many types of work you can do in the modern police force.

And if you want to, you can get university qualifications while on the job.

If you have never thought about the police service, this is a good time to do it.

So go on line and see what an amazing and interesting career you could have.

Dr Alan Billings is the Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire. He has been in the role since November 2014.