Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what programmes are in place to support young people not in education, employment or training into careers in defence manufacturing and engineering.

The Ministry of Defence is working alongside other Government departments and defence industry partners to ensure the sector has the skilled workforce it requires across the UK, including opportunities for those not in education, employment or training (NEET) to access careers in defence manufacturing and engineering.

As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy, we committed £182 million to a defence industry skills package that will support individuals at every stage of the defence career pipeline including those who are NEET. This includes the establishment of five Defence Technical Excellence Colleges in England, two in Scotland and one in Wales, providing specialist technical training tailored to future defence workforce needs. We are working with the Northern Ireland Executive on similar skills initiatives as part of the NI Defence Growth Deal.

In September, the Defence Secretary, alongside the Rt Hon Alan Milburn and key defence employers, signed a Defence Youth Participation and Employment Pledge, committing to expand routes into apprenticeships, increase work experience opportunities, and strengthen career engagement for young people.