The defence secretary has postponed a plan to create thousands of defence industry jobs for young people after trade unions objected, accusing the government of sidelining workers.
01Summary
- 01Wes Streeting had been due to unveil the defence jobs plan on Thursday but delayed it after union pushback.
- 02Unions accused the government of bypassing their members and minimising their role in job creation.
- 03The plan aimed to increase defence sector apprenticeships to 14,000 annually by 2035.
- 04Streeting will still visit Telford on Thursday to open a new Rheinmetall gun factory.
- 05The delay follows industry pledges last month to create 40,000 apprenticeships, placements and jobs yearly for young people.
02Why it matters
This matters because the delay risks derailing efforts to tackle the youth jobs crisis, with nearly 1 million 16- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training.
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