British Defence Secretary John Healey wants to recruit computer gamers specifically for the army. “If you are a top gamer or programmer, your country needs you,” Healey said at a Labour Party conference in Liverpool. There he announced that he wanted to recruit more people for the armed forces.
Over the past decade, more than a million people have applied, but many have given up, partly because the process has taken months, Healey criticised. He spoke of a recruitment crisis left by the previous Conservative government and announced he wanted to tackle it.
Outdated specifications abolished
As a first step, he would eliminate 100 outdated requirements that would have deterred people from joining the military, Healey said. According to the British news agency PA, these include cases of hay fever, eczema and acne. The military would also be required to speed up the application process.
Healey also said in Liverpool that he wanted to create a direct recruitment route for people with cyber skills. He told the Sun newspaper that Britain was increasingly exposed to cyber attacks and needed the best talent. The country also had a shortage of drone pilots, the newspaper quoted him as saying.
Healey maintains the goal of raising British defence spending to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product and pledged renewed solidarity with Ukraine at the party conference. Ukraine has been defending itself against Russia’s war of aggression for two and a half years, with the support of other states.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
