The staffing crisis engulfing the military is deepening after a major £1.4bn tri-services recruitment scheme has been delayed again, the Telegraph can reveal.
Presented by the Ministry of Defence as a ‘recruitment solution’, the Armed Forces Recruitment Program (AFRP) was designed to provide a single plan for the Royal Navy, Royal Army and Royal Air Force.
Currently, the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force carry out their own recruitment efforts, while Army recruitment is outsourced to Capita.
At the start of this decade, the Ministry of Defense stated that all three services were “aiming to transform their recruitment practices over the next two to five years”, and although the service was scheduled to launch in April 2025, it has already It had been postponed.
But in response to a written parliamentary question from shadow defense secretary John Healy, Dr. Andrew Marrisonthe People’s Minister of Defense confirmed that the project will not be delivered next year and that Capita’s contract has been extended until 2026.
He said: “In June 2023, the Army signed a Recruitment Partnership Project (RPP) contract extension with Capita for an additional two years through March 2026, with an option to extend the contract for an additional three years if needed. include.”
“In September 2023, the Army began discussions with Capita to establish an option for a third-year contract extension to close the gap until Army recruiting begins in 2027.”
A senior defense source told the Telegraph that Capita is “doing everything in its power” in hopes of being selected as the recruiter to run AFRP.
They added, “Capita really stepped up to the plate.”
recruitment crisis
Earlier this month, Capita made the disclosure in evidence to the House of Commons Defense Select Committee. Only 5,000 out of 9,813 people were hired. This year, I am in charge of recruiting.
This comes after recent official government figures showed Army intake fell by almost 15% in the 12 months to March.
The recruitment crisis is affecting all services, with The Telegraph revealing:He currently has very few sailors in the Navy. Two warships had to be retired to staff the new class of frigates.
Dr. Mallison told Congress in January that the military was facing a “crisis” in recruitment, with the latest Department of Defense statistics showing that 5,800 more people left than joined last year. There is.
Mr Healey said: “The Conservative Party has failed our defense for 14 years, missing recruitment targets every year.
“The Conservative Party has corrupted the nation’s moral contract with the people it serves. Staff live in damp and moldy housing, work life satisfaction has fallen to almost 40 per cent, More people leave the military than join.”
Former Armed Forces Minister Marc Francois said: “Einstein’s definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” It’s the same thing we would do if we expanded to the military.”
A Ministry of Defense spokesperson said: “As reflected in the Haythornthwaite review and the publication of the Defense Command document, we remain focused on increasing recruitment and improving retention ahead of the Armed Forces Recruitment Program being introduced in 2027. .
“Investing in our people is critical and this is why we have funded numerous trials to increase recruitment and retention, delivered the largest pay increases in over 20 years, and committed to 40% to improve military accommodations. That is why we have committed to spending over £100 million.”
