Applications to join the Army Reserve have reached their highest level in five years, but concerns remain over the number of candidates progressing into trained personnel.
In response to parliamentary questions, Defence Minister Louise Sandher-Jones said more than 5,000 applicants are currently in the recruitment pipeline.
However, she acknowledged that converting those applicants into fully trained reservists remains a challenge.
“Further work is required to strengthen the progression of applicants into trained Reservists,” she said, adding that improving this conversion rate is now a priority.
The recruitment process is managed by Capita, which continues to face scrutiny over its performance in delivering candidates through the pipeline.
The Ministry of Defence said it is in regular engagement with the company and the Army Reserve to identify improvements.
“All parties remain committed to identifying, agreeing, and implementing measures that will deliver sustained and measurable improvements across the Reserve recruiting pipeline,” Sandher-Jones said.
Additional changes are expected during the 2026–27 recruiting year, ahead of the planned introduction of the Armed Forces Recruiting Service in 2027–28, which is intended to overhaul the current system.
Thats odd, I thought Crapita had lost the contract.