Professional development and training exchange

The Professional Development Learning Centre (PDLC) was formerly known as the Higher Training Division of the Training Wing. As its name implies, PDLC plays an integral part in enhancing the professional development of Force members.

On PDLC's major objective, Senior Superintendent Bernie So, Head of PDLC, said: "It provides training programmes for grooming professional leaders in the Force and for the continuous development of officers from Constable to Assistant Commissioner."

PDLC is composed of four formations, namely the Management Learning Division (MLD), Junior Police Officer Development Learning Division (JPO DLD), Police Operational Learning Division (POLD) and Co-ordination and Administration Division (C&AD).

"MLD organises command courses at various levels which are significant in nurturing Force leaders. JPO DLD is dedicated to providing various training courses for junior police officers to enhance their leadership, problem-solving skills and other professional competencies. These include the Sergeant and Station Sergeant Promotion Courses and four developmental programmes (Module I-IV) for constables. POLD provides training courses on police operational matters such as Technology Crime Investigation Course, and on the Force information and computer systems," Mr So added.

PDLC also takes charge of implementation of the "Management Development Programme (MDP)" which aims at providing advanced development training for the management staff of the Force.

"We have invited Dr Loizos Heracleous and Dr David Pendleton of the Oxford University of the UK, Dr Peter Fong of the School of Professional and Continuing Education of the University of Hong Kong, and Dr Tan Tay-keong of the Singapore International Foundation to come and hold a MDP workshop for senior police officers in January 2006," Mr So disclosed.

To help achieve the Police College's objective of providing professional police training, PDLC has made a number of innovations to all training courses, including the adoption of modular format in training. In 2004, JPO DLD was awarded the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2000 Quality Management Certificate by the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency. It was the first training formation of the Force to receive this quality certification, underling its commitment to, and determination of, searching for excellence for all of its training initiatives.

Another important task of PDLC is to enhance the collaboration between the Police College and overseas and Mainland training institutes.

"C&AD has a role of enhancing the College's opportunity of networking in training with external training institutes, both local and overseas. In fact, we have been in close collaboration with overseas and Mainland police training establishments. For example, the command courses are offered not only to Force members but also to officers from other government departments and overseas law enforcement agencies, including those from the Metropolitan Police Service of the UK and Singaporean Police Force, etc.," said Mr So.

Unceasingly, PDLC tries to identify opportunities to co-operate with overseas law enforcement agencies all the time. Recently, it contributed to sealing co-operation with the Australian Institute of Police Management (AIPM) by signing a memorandum of agreement on training partnership. Under the agreement, both the Police College and AIPM will send instructors to teach in each other's training establishment on a reciprocal base.

"PDLC will continue to play a linking role to exploit and enhance the partnership between the College and the international police and training community. For the moment, we are developing training partnership with the police forces of other European countries such as Holland," Mr So noted.

Apart from enhancing overseas networking, PDLC is also committed to promoting training exchange with its Mainland counterparts. The centre organises bespoke training courses for delegations of public security officers from the Mainland every year. In return, the Force sends officers to the Mainland for training exchange.

"PDLC will keep on strengthening networking with the Mainland with a view to promoting exchange and co-operation between the two places. The recent 'Mobile Training Scheme' in which the Force sent instructors to the Mainland for joint tactical training exemplifies this initiative. As there will be more and more similar training exchanges in future, the Force and the Mainland will benefit in terms of better mutual understanding and co-operation," Mr So stressed.

In conclusion, Mr So said the Force had been paying much attention to the continuous development of Force members and was determined to exploit more opportunities for training partnership with external bodies. In this respect, PDLC would continue to play an active role by providing more quality training development courses for Force members, and assist in establishing a closer training partnership with Mainland and overseas police training institutes.

For Mr Bernie So, the PDLC will play a more active role as the HKPC comes into being