Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to engage with schools to help ensure young people are aware of opportunities available to them in the armed forces.

The Armed Forces enjoy good relationships with schools, primarily in terms of engagement to support Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) curriculum areas but this also extends to careers engagement. The Armed Forces only visit when they have been invited by a school to support activities. The visits cover a range of activities such as career events, citizenship talks, science and maths challenges and other indoor or outdoor exercises.

The Cadet Expansion Programme has focussed on growth in the state sector. Since introduction in 2012, the number of cadet units in state schools has grown by 417% (268 schools). Some new units have also been opened in Independent Schools and here there has been a 12% increase (total 201).

It is important to note that the Armed Forces do not target recruitment activity at under-16s, and no visits to schools by the Armed Forces are directly linked to recruitment, other than specific Careers/Jobs Fairs which generally involve a range of employers. While presentations may be given highlighting the careers available in the Armed Forces, no pupil is ever signed up or able to make a commitment to become a recruit in the Armed Forces during the course of a visit.