Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the level of skills transferability between members of the armed forces and jobs in the offshore wind sector.

Engineers and technicians from the Armed Forces work with some of the world's most advanced defence systems, meaning that Service leavers are often highly sought after by all engineering industries. Specialisms include aeronautical, avionics, electrical, mechanical, nuclear, communications and marine engineering at a wide range of levels. Many of these skills transfer seamlessly into the civilian employment market. However, to help Service leavers specifically align their skills to the offshore wind sector, the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), as the official provider of Armed Forces' resettlement support to all Regular Service leavers, have engaged with Renewables UK and Global Wind Organisation to offer a full programme of vocational training courses to support transition into the offshore wind sector. CTP utilises various research tools and employment outlook surveys to identify emerging trends within the civilian employment market and understands that the growth in offshore wind has already seen a high demand for skilled labour.