“Defence exists to protect the nation and to help it prosper. Our success depends on our people; they are the critical component of Defence capability and remain our most important asset.”
Esther Wallington
Director General, People & Organisational Development
Working in the Ministry of Defence, we value the importance development has on a successful and fulfilling career. You will be empowered to develop your knowledge, skills and expertise to meet our challenges now and in the future, in an organisation where our people are proud to promote working for us.
You will have access to a range of career and talent development throughout your career in Defence. Our dedicated learning teams ensure our employees can be at their best. Find out more about MOD’s career development opportunities…
Every role at the Ministry of Defence comes with the scope to learn and grow, Of course, your specific training and development opportunities will depend very much on your role. We can guarantee you a personal development programme that offers every opportunity to gain experience and learn new skills such as:
– professional qualifications to support your career
– access to a world-class learning and development offer
– talent development programmes, like RISE and Elevate
– apprenticeships
– mentoring and coaching opportunities
– volunteering and job shadowing opportunities
– access to professional development networks
– loans and secondments
A profession is group of individuals with common professional skills, experience, and expertise. In many cases the profession may be linked to a professional body that regulates membership and governs accreditation. Professions respond to the needs of the Department in terms of specific skills and professional capability, and they also support the careers of their members.
Your profession is responsible for:
– Appointing a Head of Profession to champion the work of the professions across Defence.
– Identifying routes to learning, career frameworks and professional membership opportunities for those within the profession.
– Attracting, retaining and developing the skills and capabilities required within their profession for Defence.
Internal Talent Schemes
Your development does not stop once you join the organisation! In Defence you have the opportunity to apply for a range of internal talent schemes that aim to develop your leadership skills and behaviours. These opportunities are available at a range of grades to best fit the point you are at in your career and development journey.
Rise – emerging leaders internal talent scheme
Rise is a 12-month leadership development scheme for AA, AO and EO grades looking to build a strong foundation in leadership skills or aspiring to progress to the next level.d
Laura Hall is a MOD employee who successfully applied to join Rise and has written about her experience.
Elevate – future leaders internal talent scheme
Elevate is a 24-month leadership development scheme for HEO and SEO colleagues who are aspiring to take on a management or leadership role in Defence.
Simon Skerrit was a member of the Elevate pilot scheme and has shared his experience
You want to be an expert in your field one day. We want to help make it happen. Our apprenticeships provide individuals from all diverse and social backgrounds with the opportunity to develop a new career in Defence by gaining practical experience and professional academic knowledge required whilst achieving a nationally recognised qualification in the workplace.
National Apprenticeship Week 2025
Senior Leaders Apprenticeship
National Apprenticeship Week 2025 (NAW) will take place from 10-16 February across England. Throughout Defence we will be celebrating apprenticeships and showcasing the great programmes on offer and how all can get involved.
Apprenticeships provide a clear pathway to progression and taking your career to the next level.
Throughout the week, we will be sharing some experiences of our inspiring apprentices across Defence and many events to get involved in.
The theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2025 is ‘Skills for Life.’
Apprenticeships help individuals develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career and developing a talented workforce that is equipped with future-ready skills.
“The Senior Leaders Apprenticeship gave me the opportunity to push myself and expand my horizons. My overall apprenticeship experience was positive, but also extremely challenging. It cannot be underestimated how much work there is on this programme but my peers from both the Civil Service and private industry who were also on the course, ensured we all talked and learnt from one another which enabled us to lean on and always learn from one another.“
Emma Shaw, L7 Senior Leader MBA Apprentice