MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
News Release (248/2008) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 6
November 2008
The latest Armed
Forces recruit trainee survey, which has been published since
2005, has been released today, Thursday 6 November, on the MoD
website as part of the Department's commitment to open
reporting of the views of service personnel.
The surveys are one of a range of methods the MoD and Armed
Forces employ to understand areas of success and concern during
initial training.
The latest statistics show:
89 per cent percent of Armed Forces recruits would recommend
joining up to their friends and families.
88 percent of recruits felt they personally benefited from the
course and 87 percent said their training gave them a sense of achievement;
There was a small rise in recruits who felt they had been badly
or unfairly treated, up from 9% to 12%.
The survey, which uses data collected between October 2006 and
November 2007, compiles views from 14,000 recruits in phase 1, and
11,000 phase 2 trainees, on a range of topics from food and
accommodation to recreation activities.
Minister for Armed Forces Bob Ainsworth said:
"These surveys offer a useful snapshot of perceptions from
the training environment. They help the Armed Forces target issues
that concern our people and ensure changes in policy and new
initiatives. This ensures the Services remain a top quality
employer and that our recruits receive world class training.
"We do not tolerate poor behaviour of any kind in the Armed
Forces. We recognise it has a negative impact on both individuals
and teams.
"We are constantly improving our processes, for example, at
the beginning of this year we made a number of changes to the
service complaints procedure, including the introduction of an
independent Service Complaints Commissioner."
Air Commodore Tim Winstanley, Director of Training and Education
at the MoD said:
"The Armed Forces are training their people for service in
the some of the harshest and most dangerous environments - this
requires an appropriate degree of toughness in the training process.
"We have an obligation to put recruits through robust, safe
and fair training regimes in order that they are as prepared as
they can be to undertake the responsibilities that being in the
Services places upon them. This means that the majority of
recruits, who thrive in training, will go on to make up the best
Armed Forces in the world."
Notes to Editors
1. The Recruit Trainee Survey has been published today on the MoD
website http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FreedomOfInformation/PublicationScheme/SearchPublicationScheme/RecruitTraineeSurvey.htm
2. The views of recruits and trainees are requested as they pass
through Phase 1, initial recruit training, and Phase 2, trade and
specialist training. The survey is designed to capture their views
on a range of topics in order to provide an insight into how well
they feel they were prepared to undertake training, and points
relating to accommodation, food and welfare.
3. Training units receive regular reports from MORI which they
use as part of the continuous improvement process. Service
training headquarters and MOD also use the output from the survey
to check on the impact of policy as part of the feedback mechanism.
4. In reporting the year 06/07 and in order to present a year on
year comparative analysis where relevant, the report is divided
into findings from Phase 1 training by School and Phase 2 training
findings presented by Service. This change better reflects the
fact that trainees are likely to undertake Phase 2 training in a
number of locations which are now run on a Tri-Service basis. The
reformatting of the report this year has led to a delay in
preparation which meant it was not ready for publication prior to
the Parliamentary summer recess.
5. This survey is administered independently by MORI on behalf of
the Services and the annual report was completed in August 08.
6. Certain results are not statistically significant as a
comparison with previous year's results, due to different
sample sizes and stages of training.
7. For further information please contact Rebecca Young or Hannah
Fletcher at the MoD press office on 020 7218 7924 or visit http://www.mod.uk