Prime Minister promises major public sector recruitment campaign

Boris Johnson is calling on more people to apply for jobs in the public sector for the NHS and prisons, as the government reveals latest recruitment figures for police officers and teachers, which also need a boost.

1,000 new probation officers are to be recruited, as well as 9,000 extra university places being created for engineering, science and nursing. These include 3,800 places for nurses.

The probation officers will support less dangerous criminals with drug and alcohol addiction, as well as continuing to supervise high-risk offenders.

The extra university places promised by the government to boost science and innovation will include 1,300 for engineering, 756 places for bio-sciences and almost 500 for maths.

A total of 5,611 places for healthcare courses have also been created at universities in England to support the NHS, with 3,803 of these additional places going to nursing courses.

After the last election the Conservative party pledged to recruit 20,000 police officers for the public sector.