UK to offer military gap year in effort to boost recruitment

20 comments

1. Makes sense. In retrospect I probably would have done this. Better than messing around in a minimum wage job

2. All these schemes are great but have they ever thought about, you know, paying people who risk their lives every day decent money?

3. Every dude I know who ended up in the army has now left it. They didn’t come out “right” and will be the first to tell you about what it did to them.

4. This would be soooo much more attractive if we still had bases in Germany to send them to, rather than y’know, Torying the situation right up.

5. To have any material difference on recruitment we need to return to in person career centres and stop out sourcing. This seems like a nice idea but appears to be failing due to lack of awareness it exists.

6. Its just propaganda , there is no intention to really do this

   it can take 12 – 18 months to get through the recruitment process and there will be an announcement in 2026 about military cuts

7. I think a lot of people would appreciate having a set limit of time in the forces.

8. I wonder if you are then put on the recall list in case of war? Is this just a way to recruit for future rather than a gap year job.

9. “To improve recruitment and retention.” That makes no sense for someone doing a 1yr placement, it will take a year to get them trained up and vaguely useful then they leave. I get they’re hoping people will get a taste for it and stay then transfer to the regulars, but why not join the reserves instead?

   “the air force plan is more underdeveloped.” yeah, because no offence, wasting time on these people doesnt benefit the organisation so why would they do it.

10. Lmao good luck, only dead heads and mongos see a future in the army

11. The last couple of wars and support of Israel are not really going to encourage people to join.

12. That article is garbage, it’s clearly a pilot scheme brought in by labour to address a long term problem and the bbc immediately start quoting conservatives rubbishing it despite them not doing anything in this space for 15 years 

13. If they managed to get this through it’s a good idea and gives young people leaving education more options, learn discipline and earn money.

14. >recruitment and retention problems in the armed forces

    with all these self proclaimed patriots about? sure not

15. On paper, it seems an interesting idea, boosts numbers and gives the participants skills they wouldn’t get elsewhere and an appreciation of the armed forces too. I just hope they’re not expected to do much, because if I was in a position where I had to place my life in the hands of an intern, I’d have reservations. I’d imagine it would be some basic training and stuff in the hope they’d sack off whatever career they’re heading towards in favour of military service.

16. Why not create better opportunities than joining the army?

17. Until they reform the terrible officer corps nothing is going to change.

18. Im amazed how few people do the gap year commission. I did it in the late 90’s and there were about 100 of us on the course. It was great fun , 4 weeks of square bashing at sandhurst and then off to your regiment for 4-9months. Lots of sport, drinking, orderly office duty. Sad too see it’s dropped so far in numbers

19. > Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: “As ever with Labour, the reality does not match the spin.
    >
    > “A scheme involving just 150 participants is barely a pilot, let alone the ‘whole-of-society’ response they claim to be delivering.”

    Much better they fail on a bigger scale, fucking up both the lives of the recruits as well as the efficiency of the service.

    Good contribution, James!

20. Used to be the SSLC. I was offered one in 1989 – but due to a classic Army admin screwup they withdrew it when they realised I would still have been 17 rather than 18 (by a month) on my passing out from Sandhurst (a few weeks before I was due to start). Offered to postpone it but I had a place at college which wouldn’t have held over for a second gap year.

Comments are closed.