British Army set to hit recruitment target for first time in years

The British Army is on course to reach its soldier recruitment target for the first time since signing a GBP495 million (USD641.6 million) contract with Capita in 2012 as part of the Recruiting Partnership Programme (RPP). As of February, 99% of its target for regular soldier recruits has started or been accepted and has a date to commence basic training. Capita expects to reach its target of 9,404 recruits for the year ending 31 March.

Recruits taking part in a graduation parade at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate. (British Army/UK MoD)

The latest figures come as a relief to Capita and the British Army after a 2018 National Audit Office (NAO) report highlighted that the RPP had not met its annual target to recruit soldiers since its inception, leading to Capita openly acknowledging that it underestimated the complexity of armed forces recruitment.

At a press event held at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate on 11 February, Army Recruiting and Initial Training Command (ARITC) commander Major General Paul Nanson said, “The key to success over the last two years has been the reset of the partnership, which now has been ‘zippered up’ at every level, from those in the front of the recruiting offices through to the Capita CEO and the army chief of the general staff”.

The NAO report instigated a reset in strategy within the RPP, leading to a decrease in the time of flight period between when a candidate applies and receives a confirmed job offer. The period was 205 days 18 months ago but now sits at 146 days, with one candidate taking 16 days in September 2019.