The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that only four to seven per cent of people who apply to join the UK’s Armed Forces Reserves successfully become untrained entrants, with the Army recording the lowest conversion rate of just four per cent in financial year 2024-25.
Conservative MP Steve Barclay asked what proportion of applicants to the Active Reserve forces successfully joined in the last available year. Parliamentary Under-Secretary Louise Sandher-Jones confirmed that in 2024-25 the Royal Navy converted seven per cent of applicants, the British Army four per cent and the Royal Air Force five per cent, describing this as “in line with a long-standing trend.”
The minister said a variety of checks and tests were conducted between application and becoming an untrained entrant “to ensure that any applicant entering training is suitable for military service and that it is credible that the applicant will complete training”, adding that this ensured “that the standards of the Armed Forces are maintained and that public funds and resources are not wasted.” Reserve applications also reflected “an older profile of applicants together with a need to balance service with civilian work and family life” and historically the process had involved “multiple stages and appointments, which can lengthen timelines and increase drop-out before entry.”
Sandher-Jones said the department had taken “urgent and targeted action since November 2024 to improve throughput which has been low historically”, including streamlining recruiting processes by reducing the number of appointments, increasing automation and using digital tools to speed up decision-making, which had “improved conversion in some areas.” Reserves-specific national and local marketing campaigns were also being used to “better target likely candidates and set clearer expectations from the outset.”
From next year, Reserve recruiting will transition to the new Armed Forces Recruiting System, which the minister said would use modern technology and industry expertise to deliver “a faster, more effective and more consistent recruiting experience across Defence.”
good means standards are high, lets not water them down to keep the bean counters happy.
Yes it’s all the politicians fault we can’t have a bigger army.
We should reestablish the TA and do as the US does with the national guard, make it a separate operation under the same unified command.
I am sick of listening to British Generals on TV telling me how we are near a state of war then the same asshole bounces 19 out of every 20 people volunteering to join the reserve.
The British army is and always will be a small colonial police force. It’s always treated reservist with distain which is the reason it’s lost every initial war it’s ever fought on the continent and has to be rescued by the navy then bailed out by a massive increase in civilian volunteers and conscripts.
Fact is that reservists cost 20% of regular forces.
Fact is the US Army the world most capable operates a 1.1 ratio of full time vs reserve force but the British army that claims to be close to a state of war operates a 3 to 1 reserve ratio and now we find out that they are refusing 19 out of 20 applications.
The Royal marines don’t refuse 19 out of 20.
Jim, increasingly I feel like you don’t like the Army.
I don’t like the people running the army. Four years in the TA gave me a unique perspective.
Can’t argue with that, the army needs major restructuring to stay relevant. It does need a massive increase in reserves and equally investment in unmanned capabilities.
Reserves would flow in and flow out. What was missing was the integration with the Regular forces and joint respect, ARABS always had an issue with STABS.
The training was pretty hopeless in the late 80s and 90s with exercises taking place in the TAC with tents set up to role play because there was no fuel allowance for movement to the training sites; when we did have the fuel, then there was no ammunition, so hauling around a CharlieG or a GMPG was such a delight.
Brecon, Cambrian and Nijmegen Marches were something that was never raised and no one really cared about whether infantry or MilPol, no competition within the Dets and the Regular DS coming to the end of their time and taking it easy – some days could be piss poor.
And family life did interfere and yet, people were in fast, out fast, numbers kept up, some stayed the distance – I went overseas and taught English missing out on the Balkans and the Sandbox wars which would have been huge magnets for recruitment; today, I can’t comment but 4%? That is appalling and truly unacceptable and yet terms and conditions have not really improved other than the Reserves do now receive pensionable service… little acorns.
I can now say I was part of the top 4%. Feels good to be special. Certainly didn’t feel like it when I joined. You’d go one week and sign up and the next week they would be booking your trip to Gibraltar barracks.