Defence CommitteeWritten evidence from the Ministry of Defence

MOD welcomes the decision of the Committee to extend its inquiry into the Armed Forces Covenant to the education of Service personnel. The purpose of military training and education is to prepare personnel for their role in operational capability. Training is progressive and continues throughout an individual’s service. The military requirement is paramount but, where there is a comparable civilian qualification, we accredit the military course so that our people are awarded nationally recognised qualifications. In addition, Defence supports elective learning and provides training to facilitate the eventual transition back to civilian life.

There is an established learning culture across all three Services and, ultimately, education is an individual’s responsibility. The 3* Defence Training Board (DTB), chaired by Chief of Defence Personnel, ensures coherence within Defence training and education. It sets overall policy, gives strategic direction, prioritises and makes balance of investment decisions on training and education. Requirement setting is delegated to the Service Commands as appropriate, with Commander Joint Forces Command responsible for setting the joint requirement and training standards, as well as co-ordinating user requirements for the Defence Academy. Assurance includes the evaluation, inspection and audit of training and education activities. A culture of continuous improvement facilitated by regular self assessment exists in all Defence training activities. The Service Commands are accountable for the conduct of 2^nd Party assurance of all Training & Education activities within their area of responsibility (including Defence Training Establishments) and 3^rd Party inspections conducted by Ofsted continue to be commissioned through MOD/TESRR1.

Entry to Service

The minimum age for entry into the UK Armed Forces is 16, which reflects the normal minimum school leaving age. As at 1 April 2012 1.5% of UK Regular Forces were under the age of 18, and 28% were under the age of 252. Table 1 shows the age distribution on entry to each of the Services in FY11/12, with 23% of recruits being under 18. The Education and Skills Act 2008 means that all young people who have ceased to be of compulsory school age, not reached the age of 18 and not attained a level 3 qualification will be required by law to continue in education or training to the end of the academic year in which they turn 17 from 2013 and until at least their 18th birthday from 2015.

All recruits who are subject to this duty to participate (ie those aged 16 and 17 who have not attained a level 3 qualification) will enrol on an apprenticeship as part of their military training whilst in full time employment as a soldier, sailor, marine or airman. No one can join the trained strength of the Armed Forces unless they have completed both Phase 1 broad militarisation training and Phase 2 specialist and trade related training. Young people joining the Armed Forces are engaged in a full time occupation and so, unlike a school but in common with other employers, the training they undertake is designed to prepare them for their role in their chosen trade or specialisation.

Minimum educational qualifications are determined by individual Service and specialisation requirements, ranging from no formal qualifications (eg RAF Regiment Gunner) to a full professional qualification (eg RN Registered Nurse). Data on the qualifications held on entry are not available as the recruiting staff record only whether applicants have the minimum qualifications for their selected trade or specialism; examples of some minimum qualifications are at Table 2. As part of a range of tests to determine their suitability, all applicants will undergo an initial assessment of their literacy and numeracy skills and a screening during the selection process, administered by trained staff. Applicants falling below the Service’s entry standard for literacy and numeracy are offered practical exercises and signposted to their local Further Education College or online learning for specific Functional Skills advice and provision. Recruits enter training with a wide range of qualifications or none at all. However, all candidates undertake Basic Skills Initial Assessments to establish their level of literacy and numeracy. The results of these tests are at Table 3a/3b. Entry Level 2 (the level broadly expected of a 7–8 year old) is the basic entry requirement. We assess that Entry Level 3 is required to assimilate training fully and expect all recruits to reach this level before starting Phase 2 training. Candidates must also pass an English Speaking and Listening Test.

The Armed Forces Basic Skills Longitudinal Study—jointly commissioned by BIS and MOD and carried out over 3 years (2008–11) by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) and the National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy (NRDC)—was published 7 June 2012. The executive summary of the report is available at: http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/further-education-skills/docs/a/12–886-armed-forces-basic-skills-executive-summary

For the Armed Forces, the term Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) encompasses: Dyslexia; Meares-Irlen Syndrome; Dyscalculia; and Dyspraxia. Opportunities for SpLD screening and subsequent assessment are available to all within the Armed Forces as early in their career as possible, and delivered by appropriately trained and qualified staff. Those individuals identified with SpLD needs receive appropriate support at the relevant time in their training and careers. There is no mandatory requirement for individuals to inform the Services of any SpLD and consolidated statistics are not collected. However, comments from each of the Services on their level of support for SpLDs can be found at Table 4.

Accredited Training and Education to Achieve Civilian Qualifications

Accreditation is sought for all mandatory education and training as an important component of MOD personnel strategies, since they provide recruiting, developmental, retention and resettlement benefits. Although courses are designed primarily to satisfy the operational requirement, we take account of the potential to accredit the course. For example, the RAF initial officer training course can be used to gain a Level 5 Diploma from the Chartered Management Institute or the Institute of Leadership and Management; it also earns 120 points towards an Open University (OU) undergraduate degree. The RAF Warrant Officer Study Period is accredited with 30 points towards an MBA3 and the RN Physical Training Instructor qualification course is accredited with 120 Level 1 CAT4 points towards a foundation degree in Sports Science. In total, more than 37,000 awards at all levels were gained as a result of Service training in academic year 11/12; for full details, see Tables 5ac. Some accreditation schemes require additional learning beyond the military requirement; this supports the development of general intellectual abilities and enables personnel to contribute more effectively to the organisation, respond better to change and cope better with the novel situations that the dynamic Defence environment presents.

The Armed Forces moved from using Basic Skills awards as accredited measures of literacy and numeracy towards the wholesale adoption of Functional Skills qualifications and provision in September 2012. Functional skills are an integral part of Apprenticeships. The Government response to the Wolf report acknowledged that Apprenticeships are rightly regarded as the best way to learn in work. All Armed Forces Apprenticeships are accredited and linked to national occupational standards across a range of sectors. In academic year 11/12, there were 7,453 Level 2 and 2,676 Level 3 apprenticeship completions.

The RN has a generic policy for non-graduate Naval College entrants to be automatically registered and funded up to foundation degree; the Route to Honours (R2H) is also funded, currently with a funding limit for the R2H of £3,700, although this financial limit is under review. The R2H for all RN in-Service degrees is elective and individuals may choose which institution they go to. However the OU and University of Portsmouth are often chosen because of their expertise in distance learning. Since September 2012, the University of Lincoln has also proved popular with Logisticians. The RAF In Service Degree Scheme was offered to those non-graduate pilots and Weapons Systems Officers who joined the Service before they reached the age of 20. A total of 104 students are registered with 54 actively studying. The scheme is now closed to all new entrants to the RAF and will cease in 2015. In addition, Staffordshire University provides a foundation degree based on the current basic and specialist training for Senior NCO non-commissioned aircrew.

Defence provides post graduate education for some 350 personnel across MOD each year, with around 900 more taking opportunities to obtain qualifications through accreditation of military education and experience. The Advanced Command and Staff Course (ACSC) and the course at the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) provide education and training at Masters Level for officers to develop their professional understanding.

Financial Support for Education

Pre Service

The Defence Sixth Form College at Welbeck (DSFC) offers a two-year residential A level course to young men and women who would like, in the future, to enter one of the more technical areas of the three Services or the MOD Civil Service. DSFC provides the preferred entry route to the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (DTUS). Whilst at the College the students remain civilians although Combined Cadet Force attendance is compulsory. Parents/guardians are required to make a contribution to their child’s maintenance based on their aggregated residual income. The Defence Technical Officer and Engineer Entry Scheme (DTOEES) encompasses the DSFC Welbeck and the DTUS which are quad-Service schemes. The Universities of Southampton, Newcastle, Loughborough, Aston and Northumbria support DTUS. The DTOESS Annual Report 2012 includes statistics on academic achievement and is available at http://www.da.mod.uk/dtoees/public-documents/20130151-DTOEES_Annual_report_final-U.pdf. The Armed Forces offer financial support to selected recruits to support them in education prior to joining the Services. Sixth Form scholarships and bursaries for undergraduates are available. Cadetships are offered mainly to Medical professionals; details of the financial support schemes are in Table 6.

In Service

The Standard Learning Credit (SLC) scheme, which supplies financial support throughout the Service person’s career for multiple, small scale learning activities, is designed to enhance educational or vocational achievement. Personnel may claim 80% of course fees, up to a maximum of £175 per financial year, paid to civilian bodies for certain personal development courses, examinations and support. See Table 7a for SLC Authorised Claims by Service. Expressed as a percentage of combined trained strength for all three Services the take-up of SLC over last five years has averaged at about 9.7% per annum (Table 7b). In addition to the SLC scheme, the Enhanced Learning Credits scheme (ELC) provides help to personnel who qualify to help pay towards the cost of higher-level learning and is funded by the single Services. Eligible personnel make a personal contribution of 20% of the total course fees and can receive a single payment, in each of a maximum of three separate financial years, of up to £1k or £2k (depending on qualifying scheme membership) to cover up to a maximum of 80% of course fees. The ELC scheme helps to motivate full time members of the Armed Forces to pursue their personal development, both during their Service and for up to ten years afterwards, subject to the qualifying criteria being met. Over 310,000 personnel, including those eligible who have left the Armed Forces, have registered with the scheme. Over 62,000 claims, worth about £74.4m, have been authorised to support a wide range of higher level academic and vocational learning; a breakdown by Service, year-by-year is in Table 8. Of those claims: about 32% were used for personal development by personnel with over 2 years left to serve; about 45% were used by personnel in their last two years of service in preparation for resettlement; and approximately 23% were submitted by personnel who had left the Service. Up to 31 October 2012, for the Financial Year 12/13, just over 10,600 claims had been submitted for ELCs worth just over £17.3M.

Resettlement

MOD provides all Armed Forces personnel with access to timely and accurate resettlement information and advice. Resettlement assistance is available on a graduated basis, both in terms of provision and time available, according to length of service. Assistance includes access to employment support or full resettlement services, between 4 and 7 weeks of resettlement time (often used for training courses or civilian work attachments) and a non-taxable grant of £534 for training and education costs. For those leaving with less than 4 years of service (Early Service Leavers (ESL)), support is normally limited to a signposting service immediately prior to discharge, directing individuals to assistance that they may receive from Other Government Departments and to ex-Service welfare and other organisations once they have been discharged. There are two ongoing trials of extended support for ESL. Employment statistics for those leaving the Armed Forces are not broken down by Service. Historically, we know that over 91% of Service leavers that use the Career Transition Partnership service are in full-time employment after 6 months of leaving the Armed Forces5. Table 9 shows the number of people leaving the Services each year from 2009 to date. Because military training and education is accredited, individuals are likely to hold civilian qualifications that could assist them in finding civilian employment after they leave the Services. However, the qualifications gained will vary depending on an individual’s Service history and the amount of elective education they might have completed. When Service leavers are moving into employment in a new discipline, the qualifications held may not be relevant and specific resettlement training courses may be required.

Post Service HE/FE Support Scheme

From July 2008, the Armed Forces made a commitment for Service Leavers to gain a first Level 3 or first foundation/undergraduate degree free from tuition fees. MOD contributes any unused ELCs. Additional costs are then paid by BIS or the Devolved Administrations. Claimants must be registered for the ELC scheme and have served 4 years full time service. Medical discharges who have completed Phase 1/2 training may access it earlier than 4 years but must be registered for ELCs. Redundees with less than 4 years of service are not eligible. To date, 520 people have used the scheme; details are in Table 10. The tuition fee free course can be transferred to a spouse or eligible partner in the event of death or medical discharge of the Service member resulting in inability to complete the study. The scheme is available in the resettlement period (2 years prior to discharge) and up to 10 years after but the individual must be resident in UK while studying full or part time. It is open to Foreign & Commonwealth/Gurkha Service leavers if they meet the residence requirement.

Conclusion

While the military requirement is paramount and the focus is on training our people for operational capability, the Armed Forces recognise the importance of education and civilian qualifications which offer recruiting, developmental, retention and resettlement benefits. The Services are amongst the largest training providers in the UK, with excellent completion and achievement rates, and the quality of our training and education is highly respected. With support for education ranging from entry level literacy and numeracy to full postgraduate degrees, Service personnel are offered genuine progression routes which allow them to develop, gain qualifications and play a fuller part in society either in the Armed Forces or in the civilian world which awaits them beyond.

Annex

A.Tables of Statistics and Supporting Data

March 2013

Annex A

TABLES OF STATISTICS AND SUPPORTING DATA

Table 1

EXTRACT FROM DASA NATIONAL STATISTICS PUBLICATION: UK ARMED FORCES PERSONNEL REPORT EDITION 2012 RELEASED 17 MAY 2012—UK REGULAR FORCES INTAKE BY SERVICE AND AGE, FINANCIAL YEAR 201112

	Officers				Other Ranks
	All Services	Naval Service	Army	Royal Air Force	All Services	Naval Service	Army	Royal Air Force
Total	1,070	280	710	80	13,740	1,940	10,480	1,320
16	-	-	-	-	1,500	10	1,470	10
17	-	-	-	-	1,640	80	1,460	100
18	20	10	20	-	1,700	260	1,250	190
19	30	20	20	-	1,740	290	1,220	220
20	30	10	20	-	1,550	280	1,080	180
21	120	40	80	10	1,190	200	850	140
22	220	50	160	20	950	170	680	100
23	190	50	130	10	780	150	550	80
24	140	40	100	10	670	130	460	80
25 and over	300	70	200	40	2,020	350	1,450	220

Table 2

EXAMPLE MINIMUM ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Service	Entry Requirements
Army Officer	35 ALIS points (34 for SCEs) from 7 GCSE/SCE subjects, with a minimum grade C/2 in English language, maths and either a science or a foreign language; plus 240 UCAS Tarrif points from at least two A level passes grades A-E or SCE Higher grades A-D.
RAF Officer	Specified GCSEs plus two passes at General Certificate of Education (GCE) A2 Level at Grade C or higher, or; three Scottish Highers at Grade C or above with a minimum value of 160 UCAS points, or; equivalent qualifications. The General Studies and Critical Thinking papers are specifically excluded. However, where a candidate holds a UK degree at grade 2:2 or higher or an acceptable alternative, the A2 Level requirement (or equivalent) is superseded.
Naval Service Rating/Other Rank	Entry into most branches does not require any formal educational qualifications, although all candidates must attain minimum test scores on the Recruiting Test. The following branches require GCSE or equivalents in addition to the Recruiting Test:    Communications Technician.    Medical Technician (Radiographer).    Dental Nurse.    Naval Nurse (Student) (and 280 UCAS points).    Aircraft Controller.

Table 3a

NUMERACY: INITIAL ASSESSMENT RESULTS

	RN (2012)	Army (2012)	RAF (Sep 11 to date)
Level 2	314	4446	38.8%
Level 1	726	1464	59.7%
Entry Level 3	73	3489	-
Entry Level 2	-	155	-
Entry Level 1	-	12	-

Note:
RAF record Basic Skills Key Builder Maths: 1.5% at Level 3 are not shown.

Table 3b

LITERACY: INITIAL ASSESSMENT RESULTS

	RN (2012)	Army (2012)	RAF (Sep 11 to date)
Level 2	481	1793	37.5%
Level 1	618	4089	62.1%
Entry Level 3	10	3347	-
Entry Level 2	1	286	-
Entry Level 1	-	51	-

Note:

RAF record Basic Skills Key Builder English: 0.4% at Level 3 are not shown.

Table 4

COMMENTS ON SPECIFIC LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

Service	Comments
RN	Work is ongoing to develop a culture of declaration during Phase 1 training. For example at HMS RALEIGH new entrants are required to write an essay and complete a learning questionnaire in order to identify risk of SpLD. This has subsequently identified 8.5% undertaking a Dyslexia Adult Screening Tool (DAST) assessment.
Army	The Army does not routinely screen for SpLD as often it has no impact on the individuals ability to carry out their role, so the data below only registers those individual who have sought and been provided with assistance.    In 2012, 205 soldiers had DAST assessments recorded on the Basic Skills Development Managers’ database    Directorate of Educational & Training Services (Army) funded 70 Educational Psychologist assessments in 2012, compared to 41 in 2011.
RAF	Since 2000 the RAF has identified 1583 individuals who required funding for Educational Psychologist assistance. The RAF roughly mirrors the civilian population with approximately 1 in 10 of our population having a SpLD.    Approximately 10% of entrants present with undiagnosed SpLDs during the Pre-Recruit Training Course screening process and require a formal diagnosis    A further 10% come with a previous diagnosis of an SpLD and require support with transferring their coping strategies to the RAF environment    More than 90% of those who fail the English Functional Skills exams (particularly the writing element) have an SpLD

Table 5a

ACCREDITATION (EXCLUDING APPRENTICESHIPS) GAINED BY ARMED FORCES PERSONNEL AS A RESULT OF THEIR SERVICE TRAINING

Type of Qualification	FY 2005–06	FY 2006– 07	FY 2007–08	FY 2008–091,	AY 2009–10	AY2010– 11	AY 2011– 12
Stand alone NVQ and other L2	10,895	7,592	5,725	9,971	13,282	17,204	11.195
Stand alone NVQ and other L3	1,148	1,758	5,018	6,538	6,813	8,105	7,592
Stand alone NVQ and other L4	418	266	1,225	2,251	2,670	2,519	2,249
HND (L5)	140	238	185	4,517	4,774	5,113
Foundation Degrees (L5)	541	502	435				3,582
Other L5	337	436	1772
Honours Degrees (L6)	81	185	146	1,163	543	779	915
Other L6	-	27	123
Postgrad Degrees/Diploma and Higher Degrees	136	168	353	983	596	218	1,578

Note:
1. The format for the collection of Accreditation Statistics was simplified for FY 2008–09 to show levels of accreditation only.
2. From 2009–10 Stats were collected by the Academic Year (1 Aug—31 Jul).

Table 5b

ARMED FORCES APPRENTICESHIP FIGURES BY YEAR

Qualification	FY 2005–06	FY 2006– 07	FY 2007–08	FY 2008–091,	AY 2009–10 2	AY2010– 11	AY 2011– 12
Military Apprenticeships (L2 & 3)	8,015	7,299	6,670	L2 7,977 L3 1,570	L2 9,874 L3 2,065	L2 9,836 L3 2,173	L2 7,453 L3 2,676

Notes:

1. The format for the collection of Accreditation Statistics was simplified for FY 2008–09 to show levels of accreditation only.
2. Apprenticeship Stats were collected for the Academic Year (1 Aug—31 Jul) to meet SFA reporting requirements.

Table 5c

APPRENTICESHIP COMPLETIONS BY SECTOR SKILLS AREAS: 1 AUG 11—31 JUL 12

SECTOR SKILLS AREA	Apprenticeships				Advanced Apprenticeships
	RN	ARMY	RAF	TOTALS	RN	ARMY	RAF	TOTALS
Agriculture (includes animal care)		193		193		3		3
Business Administration and Law	36		35	71		62		62
Construction		36		36
Engineering (including ICT)	1,031	2,041	125	3,197	284	1,076	641	2,001
Health, Public Services and Social Care	1,042	743	188	1,973	55	1		56
Hospitality (including catering and food services)			39	39
Management and Professional							14	14
Retailing and Customer Services	73	1,494		1,567		540		540
Transportation (including warehousing and storage)			377	377
Totals	2,182	4,507	764	7,453	339	1,682	655	2,676

Table 6

PRE JOINING SPONSORSHIP SCHEMES

SCHEME	RN	ARMY	RAF
Defence Technical Officer and Engineer Entry Scheme (DTOEES)	DTOEES encompasses the Defence Sixth Form College (DSFC), Welbeck and the Defence Technical Undergraduate Schemes (DTUS) which are quad-Service Schemes.
Defence Sixth Form College (DSFC)	Welbeck DSFC offers a two-year residential A level course to young men and women who would like, in the future, to enter one of the more technical areas of the three Services or the MOD Civil Service. DSFC provides the preferred entry route to the DTUS. Whilst at the College the students remain civilians. Parents/guardians are required to make a contribution to their child’s maintenance based on their aggregated residual income. CCF at Welbeck is compulsory.
Target entry: RN—30 Army—100 RAF—30 MOD CS -10	The primary aim for RN students at Welbeck is to study technical A-levels in preparation to undertake an engineering degree, normally at one of the DTUS Universities, before joining BRNC as Engineer Officers.	Of those destined for the Army, most Welbexians will be commissioned into:    Royal Engineers.    Royal Signals.    Royal Logistic Corps.    Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.	RAF entrants are targeted as potential Engineering Officers for both Aero-Systems (AS) and Communications Engineers (CE) and also, from the 2010 intake to DSFC, for Logistics Officers.
Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (DTUS) £4000 pa and up to £1500 pa for military activities undertaken Southampton, Newcastle, Loughborough, Aston and Northumbria.	The University of Southampton is the preferred (but not mandatory) choice for the RN.	Potential officers leaving DSFC will proceed direct to DTUS to read for a science, engineering or management degree. A small number of DTUS Bursaries are now available to direct entrants to the scheme. The application process is similar to that for Army Bursaries, but all successful applicants will be restricted to service in one of the 4 technical corps on commissioning.	On completing DSFC, students move on to a university participating in the DTUS to complete their degree before entering Initial Officer Training. In certain years, places for Direct Entrants to DTUS will arise and these will be filled by applicants for university sponsorship on an annual basis through competition, with the proviso that they intend to study at a university within the DTUS.
Sixth Form Scholarship 6 FS/Scholarship   Payment allocated on a sS basis.   RN- £1500 pa with a bonus of £1500 for those who join as Naval College Entrants   Army-£1500pa for 2 years   RAF—£1000 in Yr 13	The Scholarship and Reserved Place Scheme is for young people who wish to join the RN/RM as Officers. It is open to those who are about to take GCSE or SCE Ordinary/Standard Grade examinations, and are intending to study for A levels, Higher Grade, Certificate of Sixth Year Studies or other equivalents. The parents/guardians of those awarded a Scholarship will receive an award towards the cost of keeping their child at school or college in order to qualify for entry to the RN/RM (or university if ‘E’ branch). Parents/guardians of those awarded a Reserved Place only, will receive no financial assistance.	The Army Sixth Form Scholarship exists to encourage young people to commit themselves, at an early age, to a career in the Army. The award of a Scholarship provides the candidate with an AOSB pass which is valid for 7 years. The scholarship application is normally made in either the GCSE year or in the term immediately following the examination.	The RAF holds an annual national competition for RAF Scholarships to attract high quality candidates into the Service. The Scholarship is awarded for Year 13 of study and is available to applicants who wish to be considered for Direct Entry into the Service on completion of their A levels. The Scholarship is currently available for the following branches: Pilot, ATC, ABM, Intelligence and Logistics. Applicants undergo the full selection process for RAF officer and successful scholars attend a 5-days Adventure Training and Preparation for IOT package prior to joining the Service on satisfactory completion of their A levels. The scholarship award is £1000.
Bursary Payment allocated on a sS basis.   RN- £1,500 pa for non engineering officers. £4,000 pa for Engineering Officers.   Army-£10,00pa for 3 years plus £3,000 on commissioning from RMAS   RAF—£6000	Candidates who do not wish to join the Service before starting a first degree course at a UK university may apply for Bursary sponsorship at any time before the start of their final year (engineers may apply at any stage before graduation). Bursars remain civilians whilst reading for their degrees, but are required to join the Service after graduation on an Initial Commission. Acquaint courses are held during vacations and bursars are expected to participate. A bursary is normally awarded for 3 years, but may be awarded for up to 5 years if there are bona fide reasons for attending a course of this length (eg MEng at a Scottish university).	The bursary scheme is for undergraduates who wish to commit themselves to the minimum of a three-year SSC (8yr for AAC) after graduation and successful completion of the Commissioning Course at RMAS. The Army provides financial support and opportunities for paid training which supplement the normal education authority grant and other sources of student income. Bursary holders are required to join the University Officer Training Corps and carry out such part time training as required by the CO.	Bursaries take the form of cash awards and are available to support candidates through all or part of a qualifying undergraduate degree. For the UAS BS, the maximum bursary payable is £6,000, with no cash award in year 1 and the remaining years having equal payments. Therefore, for a 3 year degree the payments will be £3,000 in years 2 and 3, and for a 4 year degree, the payments will be £2,000 in years 2, 3 and 4. This sponsorship is for a first degree only, however, in the case of Medical and Dental Branches, bursaries may be available for subsequent degrees where the 1st degree has not already been sponsored by MoD. The bursary is paid at the beginning of the academic year, but only after OASC has been informed that the previous year’s study, for other than first year Bursars, has been successfully completed. Bursary availability is determined by the recruiting need for each Branch against the latest Manning Plan.
Cadetship Payment allocated on a sS basis.   RN- £14983 on appointment   Army-£14,983 on appointment rising to £18,671 after two years, with Lieutenants (PRMP) on appointment starting at £40,728, with Captains on appointment £53,803 and Majors (GP) on appointment £96,262. Return of service is 6 years   RAF—£14983 on appointment	Medical and Dental students are eligible for cadetships which generate a current annual salary of £13k with tuition fees paid and additional academic support. The cadetships are available to those in their final 3 years of study.	A special Cadetship (but not a bursary) scheme applies to potential officer applicants for RAMC, RADC, QARANC and Lawyers. Bursaries are also available for potential Pharmacists and Nurses. Veterinary students may apply for a bursary but the award does not guarantee a commission in RAVC.	University Cadetships are only available for the Medical and Dental Branches . For Medical Bursars, the first 3 years at Medical School will be under the same terms and conditions as for all UAS BS Bursars ie no payment is made in year 1 and the £6,000 bursary is then paid in equal amounts of £3,000 in years 2 and 3. However, the Dental Bursary of £4,000 is payable in years 1 and 2. Progress to the Dental Cadetship in year 3 or the Medical Cadetship in year 4 is determined by a specialist interview with senior officers of the relevant branch. If successful, candidates are commissioned as plt offs for their final years at university. University tuition fees, a £50 book allowance, graduation fees and professional registration fees are paid for all Cadets.
REPAYMENT	Candidates awarded bursaries will be required to sign an undertaking that they will refund to the MOD the bursary payment if they fail to complete their studies, fail to report for duty, or leave the RN/RM before the expiration of a period of three years from completion of their specialist training.	Candidates awarded bursaries will be required to sign an undertaking that they will refund to the MOD the bursary payment if they do not serve for 3 years after the end of their Commissioning Course at RMAS.	If the scholar is subsequently awarded a university bursary, the scholar (or parent if the scholar is under the age of 18) will be required to give an additional financial undertaking to repay all of their sponsorship monies if, without good cause, they fail to graduate or subsequently fail to serve in the RAF for a period of 3 years productive service.

Table 7a

STANDARD LEARNING CREDIT SCHEME AUTHORISED CLAIMS BY SERVICE

FY	Service	No of Claims Authorised	Amount Spent £m	Totals
200708	RN	2,265	0.329	20012 claims £2.267m
	Army	13,167	1.251
	RAF	4,580	0.687
200809	RN	1,755	0.250	17964 claims £2.388m
	Army	13,533	1.737
	RAF	2,676	0.401
200910	RN	1,807	0.256	18579 claims £2.841m
	Army	14,663	2.241
	RAF	2,155	0.344
201011	RN	2,276	0.314	121010 claims £1.607m
	Army	6,447	0.862
	RAF	3,178	0.488
201112	RN	2,729	0.366	14049 claims £1.945m
	Army	7,793	1.069
	RAF	3,527	0.510

Table 7b

TAKE UP OF STANDARD LEARNING CREDIT SCHEME AS A PERCENTAGE OF TRAINED STRENGTH

	ROYAL NAVY			ARMY			ROYAL AIR FORCE			TOTAL
FY	Claims	Strength	%	Claims	Strength	%	Claims	Strength	%	Claims	Strength	%
FY 07/08	2,265	34,570	6.6	13,167	94,120	14.0	4,580	40,540	11.3	20,012	169,210	11.8
FY 08/09	1,755	34,310	5.1	13,533	94,130	14.4	2,676	39,280	6.8	17,964	167,720	10.7
FY 09/10	1,807	34,780	5.2	14,663	97,210	15.1	2,155	39,640	5.3	18,579	171,630	10.8
FY 10/11	2,276	35,250	6.50	6,447	97,730	6.6	3,178	40,290	7.9	11,901	173,270	6.9
FY 11/12	2,729	34,320	7.9.	7,793	95,780	8.1	3,527	38,920	9.1	14,049	169,020	8.3

Table 8

ENHANCED LEARNING CREDIT TAKE UP BY SERVICE

FY	Service	No of Registrations	No of Claims Authorised	Amount Spent £m	Totals
200708	RN	2,987	1,255	1.112	13,881 registrations, 6,503 claims £5.687m
	Army	9,124	3,316	2.978
	RAF	1,770	1,932	1.595
200809	RN	3,721	1,677	2.258	16,048 registrations, 7,854 claims £10.083m
	Army	9,374	3,882	4.980
	RAF	2,953	2,295	2.845
200910	RN	4,127	1,663	2.324	18,262 registrations, 7,476 claims £9.978m
	Army	1,1633	3,825	5.158
	RAF	2,502	1,988	2.497
201011	RN	2,715	2,115	3.006	13,550 registrations, 10,389 claims £14.651m
	Army	8,913	5,347	7.631
	RAF	1,922	2,927	4.014
201112	RN	3,006	2,970	4.467	19,254 registrations, 14,468 claims £21.461m
	Army	14,286	7,630	11.284
	RAF	1,962	3,328	5.709

Table 9

ANNUAL OUTFLOW AND USE OF CAREER TRANSITION PARTNERSHIP

FY	OUTFLOW (Including Redundees where applicable)6	REDUNDEES7	USED CTP SERVICE8
200910	18,270	N/A	9,883
201011	18,140	N/A	11,380
201112	21,370	1,7739	14,863
201213	18,470 (to date)	3,83210	11,829 (to date)

Table 10

FE/HE ANNUAL TAKE UP BY SERVICE

FY	Service	No of Claims Authorised	Amount Spent £m	Totals
200910	RN	21	0.028	76 claims: £0.097m
	Army	43	0.059
	RAF	12	0.010
201011	RN	28	0.032	153 claims: £0.186m
	Army	88	0.119
	RAF	37	0.035
201112	RN	64	0.114	291 claims: £0.463m
	Army	160	0.274
	RAF	67	0.075