2.13 The information the Department holds on the type of skills its personnel possess varies in quality and quantity. The Department generally understands the trades and ranks of its military personnel well. In contrast, its knowledge of the skills of the civilian workforce is generally poor.
2.14 The Department is aware that it lacks good information on civilian skills. It plans to improve this information by requiring all applicants for the Voluntary Early Release Scheme to complete a skills profile. This process will help the Department make sure it does not lose essential skills. However, this will only give the Department information on the skills of applicants rather than its wider civilian workforce. Without a better understanding of the skills of its workforce, the Department will struggle to target its headcount reduction programme on the skills it needs to keep most.