Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to expand defence-related apprenticeships.

The Ministry of Defence already supports over 460,000 jobs and 25,000 apprentices across the UK, providing sustainable, high-quality, well-paying jobs.

Alongside the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Defence announced a £182 million skills package that includes a range of initiatives to support defence-oriented careers and apprenticeships UK-wide. This includes initiatives such as establishing five Defence Technical Excellence colleges in England, and the creation of the Apprenticeship and Graduate Clearing System which will become live in due course.