US EditionUK Launches Voluntary Paid Military Gap Year Scheme for Under-25s
The UK government will start with 150 participants in 2026, aiming to grow to over 1,000 annually to boost recruitment and equip youth with transferable skills, officials said.
- In March 2026 the Ministry of Defence will open a voluntary paid military gap year for under-25s, starting with around 150 recruits and aiming to expand to more than 1,000 per year.
- The government announced earlier this year the scheme to attract teenagers amid rising concerns about Russia and warnings from Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, following the Strategic Defence Review's recruitment recommendations.
- The Army scheme would begin with three months of basic training, with pay expected to match about 26,000 pounds; participants will not be deployed on active operations.
- Officials hope the scheme will bring a broader range of people into the forces, teaching transferable skills for civilian careers with no obligation to join, while insiders claim it could ultimately pay for itself.
- The scheme is modelled on Australia's ADF gap year, which enlisted 664 people in 2023 with a little more than half staying on, but critics say the 150-place pilot is small and funding concerns remain.
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The British Armed Forces will launch a program in March that will allow people under 25 years of age to follow a remunerated preparation for a year around them, announced the British Defence Ministry, quoted by Reuters and AFP on Saturday.
Teens in UK Armed Forces to Get Paid 'gap Years' in Bid to Attract Youngsters
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. The London-based i Paper reported on Friday (local time) that the UK's Ministry of Defence hopes the scheme will broaden the appeal of military careers for British youth as tensions with Russia rise across Europe. World News | Teens in UK Armed Forces to Get Paid 'gap Years' in Bid to Attract Youngsters.
People under the age of 25 will be able to take paid training for one year. The Ministry of Defence hopes to attract more young people into the army.
High school graduates and students in the UK will be able to train to operate in war zones as part of a voluntary, paid one-year break from the Armed Forces.
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