To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average cost of training soldiers is from basic training to completion of trade training is for (a) REME Recovery mechanics; (b) Royal Signals Communication System Operators, (c) Infantry Soldiers and (d) RLC Driver.
Answered on
4 November 2019
The average cost of basic training for a Regular soldier attending the Army Training Centre (Pirbright) is estimated at £38,100. In addition, the estimated cost for providing initial trade training for a Royal Logistic Corps Driver is £23,700. Infantry soldiers complete their training at the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick as a combined Basic and Initial Trade Training course, with an estimated cost of £67,400. This is for Line Infantry soldiers only and does not include those training for the Parachute, Guards or Gurkha Regiments.
Work to verify costs for courses at the Defence College of Technical Training is ongoing. Therefore, comparable costs for those completing their Initial Trade Training as a Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Recovery Mechanic or Royal Signals Communications System Operator are not currently available.