Wes Streeting delays defence jobs plan for young people after union pushback
Defence secretary Wes Streeting has delayed publication of a government plan to get more young people into defence industry jobs after trade unions said they could not support it. The defence jobs plan had been due to be announced on Thursday.
Wes Streeting delays defence jobs plan for young people after union pushback
Unions withheld support before publication
Wes Streeting, the defence secretary, had been due to set out the defence jobs plan on Thursday. Instead, publication was held back after trade unions were shown the plan shortly before it was due to appear and told ministers they would not back it. The delay followed pushback from the unions in the sector.
Union leaders accused the government of bypassing their members and of minimising their role in job creation. They told ministers the plan was weak and did not acknowledge the part unions play in promoting "build British" defence policies and youth jobs, particularly apprenticeships.
A union source said the plan lacked a union voice and warned of the consequences:
"this plan doesn't do the job, and they will have to go back to the drawing board"
What the ministry says
Ministry of Defence sources confirmed the hold-up but pointed to unresolved details rather than the unions' objections, saying the plan would be published "in due course". A department source said the MoD had a positive relationship with the unions affected and dismissed reports of a rift.
An MoD spokesperson confirmed the plan remains in development.
"The defence jobs plan continues to be developed and will be published when ready."
What the plan promised
The delayed plan set out a commitment on defence apprenticeships, and sat within a wider set of pledges and pressures:
- Streeting had promised the plan would increase apprenticeship support in the defence sector to at least 14,000 annually by 2035.
- Last month he said he wanted the Ministry of Defence to be "a ministry of growth and a ministry of opportunity".
- He has also described the roughly 1 million 16- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training (Neet) as a "moral emergency" that defence should help tackle.
- Defence contractors promised last month to create 40,000 apprenticeships, work experience placements and jobs for young people each year.
- The government is under pressure to raise defence spending to 3% of GDP and wants to show that higher spending will create UK jobs.
A crowded week of youth jobs announcements
The hold-up threatens a string of government announcements on the youth jobs crisis. Ministers said on Monday that jobs plans covering business services, construction, technology and defence would be published this week.
The defence plan had also been due before the final report on Neets by former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn, which is now expected next month after its own delay. Milburn, reacting to the industry pledge, said defence had "both the scale and the opportunity" to give young people the experience, skills and confidence they need.
Streeting is still expected to visit Telford on Thursday to unveil a major new gun production facility run by the German defence company Rheinmetall.
According to one source, further meetings between ministers and union representatives are "imminent", and the ministry says the plan will be published "in due course".
