Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 10 of his Department’s Defence Industrial Strategy, published 8 September 2025, what progress his Department has made on boosting defence skills across the country by establishing Defence Technical Excellence Colleges.

Defence Technical Excellence Colleges (DTECs) will be specialist training centres for students aged 16 and above that will equip them with the cutting-edge technical skills required for critical defence roles.

In April 2026, we announced five DTECs in England: City College Plymouth, Yeovil College, Rotherham College (RNN Group), Lincoln College, and Blackpool and the Fylde College. These are due to commence operations during the 2026/27 academic year.

As part of their Defence Growth Deals, we have also announced our intention to establish two DTECs in Scotland and one in Wales. We are working with the relevant devolved governments and education authorities to establish these.