The government says it is making progress in tackling the armed forces’ long-standing recruitment and retention challenges, though peers have raised fresh concerns about how psychological pressures and digital-era warfare may affect future enlistment.
Speaking in the House of Lords on Monday, Defence Minister Lord Coaker reported significant improvements since the government initiated reforms in July 2024, including faster medical checks and structural changes to the Army’s recruitment system.
“Year on year inflow is up 19 percent and outflow is down 7 percent,” Coaker said. “The Navy’s yearly recruiting target has been exceeded, the RAF’s applications are up 34 percent compared to early 2024, and the Army has seen a seven-year high in applications.”
The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham welcomed the update but asked what assessment had been made of the psychological impact of modern warfare, including drone operations and cyber conflict, on potential recruits—particularly younger people with higher reported mental health needs.
Coaker acknowledged the challenge. “Mental health and the psychological impacts of modern warfare are things that any recruiting process will have to take account of,” he said. He also highlighted a new cyber-specific direct entry route to better reflect the changing nature of the battlefield and appeal to non-traditional applicants.
Labour peer and former First Sea Lord, Lord West of Spithead, argued that the fundamentals of military recruitment had been misunderstood for too long. “We have slightly lost sight of why youngsters want to join the military,” he said. “Action, danger, excitement, comradeship, travel and pride” were the enduring motivations, he claimed, not just long-term benefits and pensions.
Lord Coaker agreed. “We ought to speak up and speak out about the Armed Forces,” he said, pointing to the example of the UK’s carrier strike group currently en route to Australia.
“They are young men and women who this country is rightly proud of, and we should use them as examples for our young people.”
The debate also confirmed that Serco has replaced Capita as the Armed Forces’ main recruitment contractor, and that a new single point of entry across the services will be introduced in the coming years.
Good grief. I suspect a little decent discipline, exercise and purose in life might do wonders for the mental health of our youth
One of the contributors to GB News the other morning happened to mention his daughter when they were discussing mental health and the youth these days, he said, his daughter has asked him to text before he calls, because unexpected phone calls cause her Anxiety!!
I’ve been told by a few folks that this is not uncommon these days, all rather worrying signs that large numbers of our kids are terrified of their own shadow.
Good luck with the real world when that protective University bubble pops and you have to work in the real world…
There’s a great book called The Coddling of the American Mind.
Don’t worry about the “American” part, it’s the same over here.
The authors argue that well-intentioned overprotection by parents, educators, and institutions is actually harming children and young adults, making them more anxious, fragile, and less capable of dealing with challenges or conflicting ideas.
You can also search for the title on YouTube—it’s fascinating.
Crap.
What’s crap Graham?
His Daughter may well be an introvert as well
I too suffer from stress and depression, and anxiety
Introverts hate phone calls. Many introverts will actively avoid making phone calls. When they receive phone calls, they’re more likely to let the call go to voicemail than to answer.
They have to psych themselves up to the challenge..
And at the age of 46, and through various decades of technology, I hate having to make phone calls or receive phone calls..
My mobile phone gets ignored if it rings…
Text me and I will chat all day!
It’s not a generational thing!
You are either an introvert or an extrovert, perhaps somewhere in the middle
If there’s one advantage of a piss poor labour market, it’s this. Some good news at last
That question from the clergy…
To be fair to HMG, they are getting this right.
#Day25
I agree, scrapping CRAPITA was a good early call from current government.
What by destroying the economy making it so people feel joining the military is the answer for them ? Let’s be honest if your young u see all the working class jobs going to people on skilled migrant visas and if you are actually skilled u see DEI filling all them jobs British born youth are having a hard time of it at the moment
Amazing what happens when you stop chasing people who will never apply, and open your doors to those who’ve been trying to get in.
I have notice a few more white males in the recruiting army videos in recent weeks . Thank goodness for that. Now they just to to get one step further and get the westerners back in the vids. Be the best and all that. There were some excellent videos in days gone by still perfectly good for today
I’m not surprised some self appointed alpha males on here might question the concern about mental health. The lack of care for mental health after every major conflict has never really been addressed. My father’s and grandfather’s generation were often mentally sick but it was ignored. It’s a real thing… just look at those from the Afghan and Iraq conflicts. Youngsters aren’t coddled, they are exposed to more reality than you and I ever were at their age, and vastly more uncertainty. But you aren’t going to see it if you don’t want to. When it comes to death, in my long experience, it’s the big mouths that cry most and can’t cope.
Indeed. The ‘coddling’ comments above are especially stereotypical.
Serco getting a bonus for every sign up so they’ll just let anyone join.