Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of defence orientated apprenticeships and skills placements in a) Leicester and b) the East Midlands.

The Ministry of Defence already supports over 460,000 jobs and 25,000 apprenticeships across all parts of the UK, providing sustainable, high-quality, well-paying jobs. In 2023-24, this included 7,500 jobs in the East Midlands.

As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Defence has announced an £182 million skills package which includes a range of initiatives that will support defence orientated careers including apprenticeships across the UK. The package includes establishing five Defence Technical Excellence Colleges across England, additional investment into the Strategic Priorities Grant for defence-relevant courses, and the Apprenticeship and Graduate Clearing System, which will ensure the defence sector has the skilled workforce it requires.