7.  In 1998, the Department contracted out the provision of career transition services to the majority of Service Leavers. This employment support package is called the Career Transition Partnership and includes a three day workshop covering career advice, CV writing, interview techniques and advice on how to approach employers. Service Leavers can attend vocational or management training course provided internally or can use an individual training grant of £534 towards the cost of external courses. Service Leavers are also given access to an individual career consultant during their resettlement and for two years after discharge.[10]

8.  At the time of Comptroller and Auditor General's Report, 6% of the Service Leavers who used the Career Transition Partnership were unemployed six months after discharge. This was higher than the national average of 5.5% unemployment.[11] Since then, the Department's surveys show an improved position with only 5% of Service Leavers unemployed and seeking work six months after discharge. [12]

9.  The take-up rate of those Service Leavers entitled to employment support has risen from 56% in 1999-2000 to 91% in 2005-06.[13] Service Leavers generally think highly of the Career Transition Partnership but 9% of them do not use the services. Many waive their entitlement so they can leave early, but other reasons for non-attendance included that Service Leavers had too much work to do, were refused time to attend or were delayed on operations (Figure 1).[14]

10.  The Department acknowledged that there had been pressures on Service Leavers which had prevented them attending the Career Transition Partnership. Armed Forces personnel should usually spend their last six months of service in the United Kingdom but operational commitments have prevented this happening for some personnel in the Army. The Department had recently taken measures to mitigate the risk of this problem occurring in the future. For example, the Army will now ensure that all personnel serve at least the last four months of their service in the United Kingdom.[15] Service Leavers who are not able to take up their resettlement entitlement because of pressure of work can apply to have their resettlement deferred through extending their service.[16]

11.  Junior ranks were less satisfied with their resettlement than others. Some 46% of junior ranks considered their resettlement as 'very' or 'fairly good' as against 67% of officers. Getting time off military duties for resettlement activities is dependent on the relevant Commanding Officer. Service Leavers experience variable treatment from their units depending on their rank and Service, which has also resulted in lower attendance rates at the Career Transition Partnership facilities.[17] Junior ranks also valued less some of the specific training courses provided by Career Transition Partnership. For example, 82% of officers found the self employment and small business course useful, but only 48% of junior ranks.[18] The Department told us that the system was not geared to the needs of officers but designed to meet the needs of all Service Leavers. It told us that the problems might have arisen because of poorer management of the resettlement process at unit level, in particular, the advice given to individual Service Leavers.[19]

Figure 1: Reasons for not attending the Career Transition Partnership

12.  Early Service Leavers are more likely than other Service Leavers to remain unemployed six months after discharge, but unemployment rates have also fallen for this group from 16% at the time of the National Audit Office's survey in Autumn 2006 to 14% in March 2007. The Department thought that this rate was broadly in line with the national average for those under 25 years old, and considered this was a significant achievement for a group of people many of whom had left the Armed Forces before completing basic training and had probably entered the Armed Forces with few if any qualifications. We questioned the Department as to whether Service Leavers who had returned to live with their parents were more likely to be unemployed. The Department reported that the National Audit Office survey found that 16.5% of those living back at home were unemployed and seeking work.[20]

13.  The individual Resettlement Training Costs grant is a contribution towards the cost of external training that Service Leavers wish to attend. The grant was set at £534 when it was introduced in 1993 and has remained at this level since, thereby falling by 33% in real terms. The Department plans to increase the grant to £1,018 provided it can recoup the additional costs through reduced travel and accommodation costs.[21] It has been in the process of making this decision for over three years.[22] The Department estimates that the additional cost in raising the grant is likely to be £6 million a year but does not have accurate historic data to allow it to calculate the costs it has avoided by not raising the grant in line with inflation since 1999.[23]

14.  Some external training providers set course fees, together with accommodation, at the maximum level of grant, plus the full amount Service Leavers can claim for accommodation. They therefore recoup some of the training costs through accommodation charges.[24] The Department could not tell us how many suppliers were charging Service Leavers on this basis, although it subsequently told us the names of some providers that had been reported to them from Service Leavers. A total of 54 complaints have been received over the past six years. The Department investigates thoroughly any complaints by Service Leavers against suppliers and has removed some companies from its preferred suppliers list as a result.[25] All preferred suppliers are now required to disclose their course costs and residential accommodation costs on the Career Transition Partnership website.

11   Qq 67-72; C&AG's Report, para 2.2 Back

12   Ev 18 Back

13   C&AG's Report, paras 2.1, 2.7 Back

14   C&AG's Report, para 2.20 Back

15   Qq 9-13 Back

16   Q 44 Back

17   C&AG's Report, para 2.22 Back

18   C&AG's Report, para 2.9 Back

19   Qq 78-86 Back

20   Qq 28-29; Ev 18 Back

21   C&AG's Report, paras 1.9, 2.16-2.18 Back

22   Qq 140-153 Back

23   Ev 18 Back

24   C&AG's Report, para 2.19 Back

25   Qq 73-77, 157-162 Back