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Armed Forces: Apprentices and Training

Asked by Matt VickersConservativeMinistry of DefenceTabled Answered 4 September 2025UIN 71335

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to expand apprenticeship and training routes into the Armed Forces.

Answered by Al Carns

Defence is the largest apprenticeship employer in the UK with over 23,000 personnel employed on a nationally recognised apprenticeship programme at any one time and over 95% of our non-commissioned military recruits offered an apprenticeship aligned to their trade training. That represents an annual enrolment average of 7.5% of Armed Forces personnel that have started an apprenticeship in the last 3 years. The Armed Forces were ranked 1st (Army), 2nd (Royal Navy) and 5th (RAF) in the Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2025 and offers over 130 apprenticeships across the three Services and the Civil Service and remains committed to adding more apprenticeship standards every year.

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