Ministry of Defence seeks to maximise Reserves contribution through new review
The specialist contribution military reservists have made across society during Britain’s battle against coronavirus will help inform a review examining how defence can maximise the skills of its Reserve Forces.
The Reserve Forces 2030 review aims to establish how best to harness the specialist knowledge and expertise of role of Reservists, with particular emphasis on how defence can unlock their potential to support wider government, business and society.
Seeking views from across defence and other government departments, as well as employers in business, and academia in the UK and internationally, the review team is considering fresh ways Reserves could contribute to defence and wider government objectives by the end of the decade.
Reserve Forces already offer a means of engaging people with specialist or niche skills, including those who helped build the Nightingale Hospitals.
The review will also examine how defence can best partner with business as well as consider utilising innovative ways of partnering across government and with the private sector to potentially share the cost, but most certainly share the skills and expertise that are vital to the UK economy.
Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey said:
Reservists are an exceptional group of people with specialist skills and expertise in a wide range of sectors. Their integral role within our nation’s Armed Forces has been demonstrated once again in the support they have provided during the coronavirus pandemic.
It’s crucial that we look towards the future, not only to consider how best to utilise our existing talent but also how we can strengthen the role of Reserves for generations to come.
The RF30 review team look forward to engaging with you all in the coming months and hearing your views - but in the meantime - if you have ideas about how defence, Her Majesty’s Government and wider society could get greater utility from its reserves out to 2030 then we want to hear from you.
Please leave us a message at People-ReserveForces2030@mod.gov.uk.