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<p>The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is pleased to be recognised as the single largest
deliverer of apprenticeships in the UK. Apprenticeships are firmly embedded across
Armed Forces initial training, with, for example, 95% of Army recruits enrolling in
an apprenticeship each year, most of whom complete within two years. The MOD is also
the largest deliverer of civilian apprenticeships across Government Departments.</p><p>The
Government’s apprenticeship reform programme is aimed at ensuring apprenticeships
in England become more rigorous and more responsive to the needs of employers. MOD
officials do not sit on the programme boards, and this programme has not been the
subject of Ministerial discussions between MOD and the Department for Business, Innovation
and Skills (BIS). However, I can confirm that senior MOD officials are fully engaged
with their BIS counterparts as we look to influence the implementation of this reform
and to develop MOD policy in support of it.</p><p>It is in the MOD’s interests to
ensure its supply chain contains personnel with the skills required to support defence
interests. To that end the MOD seeks to reflect wider supply chain training requirements
through bodies such as the Defence Growth Partnership (DGP).</p><p>MOD officials are
engaged with BIS on the development of new Trailblazer apprenticeships to meet MOD
and wider defence industry needs. In the context of the Aerospace Trailblazer Group
the RAF has collaborated with major employers such as BAE and Airbus to produce apprenticeship
standards for the manufacture of aircraft. Another example is the Supply Chain and
Logistics Operations Trailblazer. This is divided into four main areas; Warehouse
Operations, Specialist Driving, Specialist Operative and Port Operations. The MOD
is represented on the committees responsible for the development of standards for
each of these main areas.</p>
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