How can we make sure armed forces training is fit for purpose in the 21st century?

On Monday evening I was delighted to join the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) at the launch of a provocative report on defence training modernisation. Supported by Capita, this work is published at an important juncture for the UK Armed Forces. The timely research project highlights areas of best practice in defence training, but also demonstrates areas for improvement, such as better use of data to create individual learner journeys.

The report, authored by Paul O’Neill and Major Patrick Hinton is titled ‘Goodbye Mr Chips? Modernising Defence Training for the 21st Century’. It examines in depth how the UK can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its defence training system to meet contemporary security challenges. Paul O’Neill chaired an excellent panel discussion with Lieutenant General (retd) Sir Nick Pope (advisor to the Haythornthwaite Review of Armed Forces Incentivisation and former Deputy Chief of the General Staff), and Nick Juba (Team Fisher Director of Learning, Capita). It was also a pleasure to meet audience members from the Royal Navy, Army, MOD Head Office and senior politicians, all sharing an interest in this challenging area.

A key recommendation of the report was better utilisation of technology in Armed Forces Training to enable better learning and ongoing assessment. From my experience as Managing Director of Team Fisher, the Capita-led consortium delivering the 12-year Selborne training transformation programme for the Royal Navy, I agree that it is vital to understand that people learn in different ways. As my colleague Nick Juba discussed, “embracing new technology and data is key to personalising training, making it more flexible and enabling trainees at all levels to be ready for operational duty in a more timely and effective manner”. This is at the forefront of Capita’s training programmes and will be even further embedded in Selborne as we progress to the second major phase of modernisation starting in April 2024.

Sir Nick Pope commented that the importance of people to defence was underlined by this being the first section of this summer’s Defence Command Paper and that “in a time of real challenge for armed forces recruitment and retention, the role training and education plays is critical.” Now more than ever there is a need to secure and keep skilled individuals in the system. Sir Nick highlighted that talent management is a challenge, as armed forces personnel look for careers outside of the military. He said “The Government tend to look at training through the prism of cost-effectiveness or input efficiency not necessarily focus on the future”. I am hopeful that this paper will start to change those perceptions of training.

Paul O’Neill, Director of Military Sciences at RUSI, made the case for inputting greater skills into the process, which will upskill recruits and give confidence about what they’re trying to achieve. He went on to say that “Process is a shield people hide behind”, something which chimed with Sir Nick’s remarks. Training needs to not only be process-driven, but also focussed on what can be achieved in the mid and long term to improve the service provided to our brave service personnel.

Furthermore, the report recommends a new “whole system approach”, employing more flexible training practices and processes, as being essential for delivering training modernisation. I wholeheartedly agree that the fragmentation of Armed Forces training can result in varied outcomes being achieved as they are set against separate overarching strategies and targets. Partnership and collaboration are at the heart of how we deliver the Selborne programme, operating a ‘whole force’ approach and working in lock-step with our strategic partner the Royal Navy and other commercial organisations across defence to ensure best practice is shared to improve the training estate as a whole.?

You can read the full report here.

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