Current RN News and Updates
Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2023 10:16 am
Royal Navy failing to get enough recruits into basic training
Here we report on serious issues hampering the flow of new sailors into the fleet.
Background
Between July 2022 and July 2023, the already under-strength RN workforce shrank by 4.1% (1,640 more people left than were recruited). The high level of outflow of experienced people continues to be a major concern, although the number of resignations has slowed slightly from its post-pandemic peak. The gap between the number of resignations and the intake of new sailors continues to grow and if numbers are allowed to decline at 4% or more per year, the RN will quickly be unable to meet even its core commitments. Tackling the complex issues underlying the high outflow of people has always been seen as the more difficult aspect of the personnel challenge but in the last couple of years, changes to recruitment systems have had a very negative effect on the number of new sailors joining (and is the focus of this article).
Applicants not becoming recruits
Despite the tight jobs market, an average of 80 applications were made to join the RN/RM as regulars every day (March 2022-23) and numbers are rising according to official figures. There is not an attraction problem, rather it’s a processing failure resulting in basic training courses at HMS Raleigh not being filled. At the time of writing, defence sources day there are just 108 recruits allocated to the last 7 entries of 2023. That means 354 training places for this quarter will go unfilled. If this trend has been repeated across the year the RN could be around 1,200 short of its target this year just for ratings alone. Assuming a place at Raleigh for a naval recruit costs about the same as that of an Army recruit, there are around £27,000 in sunk costs per place. This suggests in Q4 2023 the RN will see approximately £9.5 million wasted with no benefit to the frontline.
This crisis has been unfolding over the last 18 months. Sky News reported in July that RN intake for the year up to March 2023 had plunged 22.1% with HMS Raleigh training just 109 recruits out of a capacity of 375, with only 10 recruits showing up one week. A year earlier, the weekly average intake at Raleigh had been about 60.
Asked for formal comment, the RN insisted: “We continue to undertake 42 entries per year, with up to 66 recruits joining in each intake. No future entries have been cancelled with the established programme being adhered to for training year 23/24.” While courses may have officially been ‘run’, navy insiders are concerned that some courses have just single-figure numbers or even zero recruits.
The situation at Britannia Royal Navy College where officers are trained is slightly better, although there is a lack of engineer and warfare candidates so numbers are made up by creating an over-supply in other branches.
Continues at - https://www.navylookout.com/royal-navy- ... -training/
Here we report on serious issues hampering the flow of new sailors into the fleet.
Background
Between July 2022 and July 2023, the already under-strength RN workforce shrank by 4.1% (1,640 more people left than were recruited). The high level of outflow of experienced people continues to be a major concern, although the number of resignations has slowed slightly from its post-pandemic peak. The gap between the number of resignations and the intake of new sailors continues to grow and if numbers are allowed to decline at 4% or more per year, the RN will quickly be unable to meet even its core commitments. Tackling the complex issues underlying the high outflow of people has always been seen as the more difficult aspect of the personnel challenge but in the last couple of years, changes to recruitment systems have had a very negative effect on the number of new sailors joining (and is the focus of this article).
Applicants not becoming recruits
Despite the tight jobs market, an average of 80 applications were made to join the RN/RM as regulars every day (March 2022-23) and numbers are rising according to official figures. There is not an attraction problem, rather it’s a processing failure resulting in basic training courses at HMS Raleigh not being filled. At the time of writing, defence sources day there are just 108 recruits allocated to the last 7 entries of 2023. That means 354 training places for this quarter will go unfilled. If this trend has been repeated across the year the RN could be around 1,200 short of its target this year just for ratings alone. Assuming a place at Raleigh for a naval recruit costs about the same as that of an Army recruit, there are around £27,000 in sunk costs per place. This suggests in Q4 2023 the RN will see approximately £9.5 million wasted with no benefit to the frontline.
This crisis has been unfolding over the last 18 months. Sky News reported in July that RN intake for the year up to March 2023 had plunged 22.1% with HMS Raleigh training just 109 recruits out of a capacity of 375, with only 10 recruits showing up one week. A year earlier, the weekly average intake at Raleigh had been about 60.
Asked for formal comment, the RN insisted: “We continue to undertake 42 entries per year, with up to 66 recruits joining in each intake. No future entries have been cancelled with the established programme being adhered to for training year 23/24.” While courses may have officially been ‘run’, navy insiders are concerned that some courses have just single-figure numbers or even zero recruits.
The situation at Britannia Royal Navy College where officers are trained is slightly better, although there is a lack of engineer and warfare candidates so numbers are made up by creating an over-supply in other branches.
Continues at - https://www.navylookout.com/royal-navy- ... -training/