Young people in Britain will be offered a gap year-style scheme by the Ministry of Defence, in an effort to introduce citizens to military life early as part of a new “whole of society” approach to defence.
After initially announcing plans to implement the scheme earlier this year, the government has now confirmed that about 150 under-25s will be recruited for the pilot programme, which is due to start in March 2026.
These will be paid, two-year placements, although it has not been revealed how much each participant will be paid.
After the scheme’s launch, the government plans to expand it to more than 1,000 per year, according to the i paper. It would not involve deployment to active operations, and there would be no obligation to stay in the military after completing the scheme, as it aims to teach transferable skills that can be used in other industries.
John Healey, the defence secretary, told the i paper that the scheme would “give Britain’s young people a taste of the incredible skills and training on offer across the army, Royal Navy and RAF”.
He added: “As families come together at this time of year, and young people think about their futures, I want the outstanding opportunities on offer in our armed forces to be part of that conversation in homes across the UK.”
Under the current plans, the army scheme involves 13 weeks of basic training as part of a two-year placement, while the navy scheme would last one year and provide “profession agnostic” training for sailors, according to reports. The RAF’s scheme is less developed, although options are reportedly being explored.
It comes after the chief of the defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, said Britain’s “sons and daughters” should be “ready to fight” and called for a “whole of society” effort to defend the country in the face of Russian aggression.
The British army already runs an internship scheme, formerly known as gap year commissions, but it had a low uptake in 2024/25 , with only 10 people enrolling. These are one-year placements for young people before, during or immediately after university.
Australia already offers a gap year scheme for its military for those aged between 17 and 24. In 2023, 664 people enlisted in the Australian scheme, with a little more than half going on to a permanent role in the country’s defence force.
In June, the British government said that the UK should take inspiration from the Australianmodel, arguing that a shorter-term option could make engagement with the military more appealing to women and people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.
