Ministry of Defence: Training

(asked on 11th December 2023) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2023 to Question 1812 on Defence: Employment, what steps he takes to ensure that his Department’s skills development policies are aligned with the changing needs of the defence sector.


Answered by
Andrew Murrison Portrait
Andrew Murrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
This question was answered on 19th December 2023

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is a member of the Defence Suppliers’ Forum (DSF), working to understand the needs of the Defence Enterprise and collaboratively address them. The DSF’s aims and objectives demonstrate the commitment of government and industry to work in an increasingly collaborative way, taking an enterprise approach to securing the capability and capacity required by our Armed Forces and further strengthen our UK defence industry. Delivering against these key aims will help to guarantee the security of the UK and increase productivity and prosperity, for the long term.

Regular work with a range of Defence Suppliers, collaboration with Other Government Departments and regular sharing of policy and practice with partner nations ensure that we understand the evolving needs of Defence and our people. Through the DSF’s People and Skills Steering Group, approaches to skills, training and employment across the Defence sector are discussed and, where appropriate, collaborative approaches to training and skills are developed, shared and evaluated. The MOD’s skills policies are also reviewed routinely to ensure they provide the appropriate direction and guidance to all our people and provide them with the support they need to develop.

Rolling-out through 2024, the Pan Defence Skills Framework (PDSF) has been developed as a new Whole Force approach to identifying, defining, and managing the skills of Defence’s people and their associated roles. By combining expertise across Defence, the PDSF will provide a single common language for skills that will help teams to be more agile and flexible. The PDSF will be used by civil servants and Regular and Reserve Armed Forces personnel, giving Defence a whole-force view of the skills we have and allowing us to see the places where we need to focus our resources. The data provided by the PDSF facilitates flexible deployment, zig-zag careers, lateral entry, empowered careers and will introduce more transparency to appraisal and promotion. It will ultimately enable teams to deploy personnel where they are needed most, helping Defence create the fighting force the nation needs for the future.

The needs of Defence and the needs of our people are aligned wherever practicable. Over 95% of our non-commissioned military recruits are offered an apprenticeship on the back of their trade training. The majority of the apprenticeships completed by military personnel are currently delivered at Level 2 (GCSE) and 3 (A Level); but they are increasingly available at higher levels up to Level 6 (degree level), which supports an individual’s ‘through career’ personal and professional development. The MOD is actively involved in ‘Trailblazer’ groups which develop the Apprenticeship Standards and ensure the apprenticeships match the current and future needs of the Service.

For employment beyond Service, the MOD’s Career Transition Partnership provides specific employment pathways to facilitate the transition from military Service to the Defence sector.

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