Demand for defence skills is climbing, and the numbers show it clearly. MOD expenditure with industry supported a total of 272,000 direct jobs in 2023/24, an increase of 11% compared to the previous financial year the MOD supported employment estimates for 2023/24. That builds on the year before, when the total number of MOD-supported UK jobs reached 239,000 in 2022/23, an increase of 6% on the previous financial year the MOD supported employment estimates for 2022/23.
The sector is also drawing fresh investment and the jobs that follow it. More than 1,700 new jobs are being created across the UK defence sector following at least £1.4 billion in foreign direct investment committed since July 2024 a GOV.UK announcement on the defence dividend. Recruitment appetite was already strong before that: the defence sector continued to be an attractive employer, with surveyed recruitment growing by 17.8% in 2022 GOV.UK figures on the defence sector's economic contribution.
Land vehicle upgrade work sits right in the middle of this growth. Modernising existing fleets, rather than only buying new, keeps workshops, supply chains and integration teams busy for years at a time. That steady pipeline is a big part of why hiring across the sector keeps rising.
Upgrading a land vehicle is no longer a purely mechanical job. A modern refit touches armour, powertrain, sensors, communications, cyber hardening and software, so one programme can call on a wide spread of disciplines at once. That is what we mean when we say the brief is widening.
In practice, teams are hiring systems integration engineers, electronics and electrical engineers, software and embedded developers, and specialists in electronic warfare and communications. Alongside them sit the people who keep programmes moving: project managers, quality and safety engineers, supply chain planners and skilled technicians on the workshop floor.
With surveyed recruitment growing by 17.8% in 2022 and job numbers rising year on year GOV.UK figures on the defence sector's economic contribution, employers are competing for the same engineering and digital talent that other sectors want too. Many of these roles need security clearance, which narrows the pool further and makes early, accurate matching essential.
Start by writing the brief around the mission, not the job title. A single upgrade programme often blends mechanical, electrical, software and integration work, so be specific about which skills are core and which can be trained on the job. That clarity helps you reach people who might not have a classic defence background but hold the exact capability you need.
Plan for clearance from day one. Build timelines that account for vetting, and keep people warm through the process so you do not lose them to a faster offer elsewhere. With job numbers rising to 272,000 in 2023/24 the MOD supported employment estimates for 2023/24, good people have options, so speed and communication matter.
Finally, look beyond the obvious talent pools. Automotive, aerospace, rail and advanced manufacturing all produce engineers whose skills transfer well to land vehicle upgrade work. Casting the net wider is often the quickest way to fill a specialist gap.
When a brief spans mechanical, electrical and software skills, you need to search wide and match precisely. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. If you are building a team for land vehicle upgrade work, tell Reed.ai the capability you need and we will get started today.
