Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme

The Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (DTUS) is a university sponsorship programme for students who want to join the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force or Engineering and Science branch of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Civil Service as technical officers after they graduate; Army sponsored students are destined for either the Royal Corps of Signals, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Royal Engineers or The Royal Logistic Corps. Students on the scheme are sponsored by the MOD to study accredited technical degree programmes. The aim of DTUS is ‘to educate and develop selected individuals to prepare them for further training and careers as engineer or technical officers in the Armed Forces or as graduate entrants to the MOD Civil Service’.[1]

Background

The DTUS was created following the 2001 Defence Training Review (DTR). The DTR identified that the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force and MOD Civil Service had difficulties in recruiting engineering officers. As a result, DTUS was created whereby sponsored students study at eleven partner universities (Aston, Birmingham, Cambridge, Imperial College, Loughborough, Newcastle, Northumbria, Portsmouth, Southampton and Strathclyde).[2]

Support units

DTUS students are able to choose the partner university they wish to study at and select a degree course that has been approved by their sponsoring service. Whilst at their partner university, all students belong to a support unit who are responsible for their leadership development, mentorship and administration. They also closely monitor academic progress, to that end the commanding officer of each support unit has visiting lecturer status at their university to support this. There are four support units throughout the UK:

Staffing

Each support unit is commanded by the same equivalent rank from each service; Taurus and Trojan Squadrons – lieutenant colonel, Thunderer Squadron – commander and Typhoon Squadron – wing commander. There are a Royal Navy lieutenant, an Army captain and a Royal Air Force flight lieutenant working as training officers in each squadron. Additionally at each squadron there is an SNCO and a civilian administrator. Assisting at each squadron are in-service degree officers who are commissioned officers reading for a degree at the partner university.

Students

Each military sponsored student is a member of their respective service reserve forces (and holds a Service number) and holds the rank of officer cadet (midshipman for Royal Navy-sponsored students). All students receive an annual bursary and also receive training pay for the activities that they participate in. In return, students are expected to remain physically fit (pass an annual fitness assessment known as a PFA), advance each academic year and serve for a minimum of three years in the Armed Forces or MOD Civil Service after graduating from Initial Officer Training (IOT).

The majority of entrants on the DTUS are graduates of the Defence Sixth Form College (Welbeck) near Woodhouse, Leicestershire. However, students studying or scheduled to study an approved degree at either of the partner universities may also apply to join the scheme as a Direct Entrant (DE)

Closure

The scheme is to shut down over a five year transition period following the announced closure of Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College (DSFC), scheduled for 2021.[10] The wider Defence Technical Officer Engineering Entry Scheme (DTOEES) was originally going to be replaced by the STEM Graduate Inflow Scheme (SGIS), which was later renamed as the Defence STEM Undergraduate Scheme (DSUS)[11].

See also

References
  1. DEFAC/DCMT/20/65/20
  2. "University and degree choices".
  3. "DTOESS – Taurus Squadron". MoD. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  4. Aston University – School of Engineering & Applied Science – DTUS
  5. "DTOESS – Thunderer Squadron". MoD. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  6. "DTOESS – Trojan Squadron". MoD. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  7. "Armed Services choose Newcastle University to train Officers of the future". Newcastle University. 19 June 2002. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012.
  8. "Strathclyde joins the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme". May 2014.
  9. "DTOESS – Typhoon Squadron". MoD. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  10. Martin, Dan (12 March 2019). "Ex-pupils condemn govt decision to shut defence college". leicestermercury. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  11. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/654762/response/1560934/attach/3/FOI%202020%2003618%20Stevenson.pdf?cookie_passthrough=1
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