‘Defence offers exciting, well‑paid careers,’ Minister Luke Pollard said on a Bristol shopfloor this week - and the North stands to gain if our colleges move fast. With three days to go until applications for five new Defence Technical Excellence Colleges close on 16 February 2026, Northern further education leaders are being urged to get bids in.

Pollard marked National Apprenticeship Week with a visit to Babcock’s Bristol site, meeting welders and engineers in training and seeing investment in young talent first‑hand. The stop was a reminder that opportunity isn’t confined to London; officials say this is about spreading defence skills across the country.

At the centre is a £50 million fund to turn selected FE colleges into specialist DTECs for learners aged 16 and over, covering submarine engineering, specialist welding and cyber security. The DTEC programme sits within a wider £182 million skills package set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy.

Defence‑backed apprenticeships grew 4% in 2025, supporting more than 25,000 roles nationwide, according to the Ministry of Defence. The Armed Forces remain the UK’s single largest apprenticeship provider, backing over 25,400 apprentices across 170 standards, with the Army and RAF in the top 20 and the Royal Navy in the top 60.

Industry is adding pace. Babcock plans 1,600 apprentice and graduate roles across 2025/26, building on thousands already offered across the sector. For Northern students, that could mean long‑term work close to home in advanced engineering and digital defence.

SMEs were in the frame too. During the visit, the minister met smaller firms as the department reiterated a £2.5 billion rise in defence spending by May 2028 and pointed to the new Defence Office for Small Business Growth to help companies break into the supply chain.

‘Defence can be an engine for growth,’ Pollard said, arguing the sector can boost opportunity while keeping the country safe. Babcock’s Neal Misell added that investing in apprentices secures the expertise needed to deliver ‘critical services’ for customers.

National Armaments Director Rupert Pearce said the DTECs will help build the talent pipeline for decades ahead, from engineering to cyber, creating ‘good jobs’ in every region if colleges seize the chance.

Across the North, colleges are expected to be among bidders, while business groups continue to press for simpler procurement, faster payments and clearer pathways for smaller firms. Principals also want certainty on equipment budgets and staffing so new facilities don’t sit idle once the ribbon is cut.

Applications close on 16 February 2026, with five English colleges to be confirmed in the coming months, the MoD said. A further £20 million is earmarked for skills initiatives in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in partnership with devolved governments, industry and academia.