Latest news: Armed forces prioritise literacy skills

New recruits in the armed forces have had their long-term career prospects improved thanks to an intensive development programme, a new report has revealed. 14/06/2012

The Armed Forces Longitudinal Study - carried out by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) and commissioned by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Department for Business and Skills (BIS) - was undertaken between 2008 and 2011.

It showed that placing numeracy and literacy skills at the centre of training programmes has greatly benefited recruits in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force (RAF) .

The findings, which revealed a record number of literacy and numeracy qualifications among new entrants, demonstrated the success of using minimum literacy and numeracy standards for promotion to certain ranks, and also highlighted how large employers can improve the employability of their staff.

John Hayes, skills minister, commented, ‘The armed forces are playing a vital social and economic role in ensuring that their personnel have the skills to perform their operational roles more effectively and are more employable when they leave the forces.

‘I hope the services’ dedication to boost skills among new recruits serves as an inspiration to other employers.’

Defence personnel, welfare and veterans minister Andrew Robathan added, ‘Not only are our recruits trained for operations, but the skills they can learn in the three services will mean they are well-equipped for life outside the forces too.’