The UK will launch a military “gap year” scheme, as part of efforts to boost recruitment and reconnect young people with defence, the government said Saturday.<\/p>\n
The initial pilot scheme, which will launch in March 2026, will offer around 150 under-25s a year of paid experience and training in the armed forces “without a commitment beyond the course”.<\/p>\n
The government hopes to “eventually” expand this to offer over 1,000 places, “subject to interest”.<\/p>\n
The announcement comes after the new head of Britain’s armed forces, Richard Knighton, earlier this month issued a call for the country’s “sons and daughters” to be “ready to fight” in the face of growing threats, including from Russia.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It comes as British defence chiefs attempt to boost recruitment.<\/p>\n
Figures released by Britain’s defence ministry in November show that its army trained around 38 percent fewer recruits in 2022-2023 than in 2019-2020, with a growing share leaving during training compared with pre-pandemic levels.<\/p>\n
“This gap-year scheme will give Britain\u2019s young people a taste of the incredible skills and training on offer across the Army, Royal Navy and RAF (air force),” said John Healey, the UK’s defence secretary. \u00a0<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s part of our determination to reconnect society with our forces, and drive a whole of society approach to our nation\u2019s defence.”<\/p>\n
The scheme is inspired by a similar scheme in Australia which the government described as an “exciting model from which to learn”.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Other European countries have looked to national service in response to the threat from Russia, with France, Germany and Belgium introducing schemes this\u00a0year.<\/p>\n
The British government statement outlining the scheme did not mention the salary offered to recruits or how funding will be found to pay for this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Further details about the scheme will follow “in due course”, a government spokesperson told AFP.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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