Job opportunities for corrections officers are expected to be favorable through the year 2008 as additional officers are hired to supervise and control a growing inmate population. The need to replace corrections officers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force, coupled with rising employment demand will generate thousands of job openings each year nationwide. Since this is an area for which there will always be a need, Lakeland keeps its courses current and readily available to ensure there will be an ample supply of graduates to meet the community's demand for officers. In order to be a police officer, a student must attend an academy. Lakeland offers a 540 hour academy through the Community Education Division .
Students can apply their academy credit hours towards their degree.
Students must be 21 years of age to enter the academy to get the required training to become employed as a police officer. The required courses benefit the students by providing practical experience, blending academics with reality. After the completion of the credit hours, students proceed to accumulate 210 outside training hours with local agencies, gaining essential hands-on experience. The faculty, being criminal justice practitioners, are continuously upgrading the curriculum to make sure Lakeland students receive the most current information and tools available. Since Lakeland has several articulation agreements, if a student elects to pursue a 4-year degree, Lakeland's courses are easily transferable.