Young people in the United Kingdom will be offered paid ‘gap years’ 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. The scheme set to launch in March 2026 will give participants the opportunity to spend a year training and working across the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, the government said in a statement.
The program will initially recruit around 150 people to experience military life, without long-term commitment. Government officials hope to grow the scheme to over 1,000 young people, subject to interest. The program is aimed at school leavers and young adults under 25, who may be unsure about their future career path. Participants in the proposed gap-year program would not be sent on active operations. While salary hasn’t been announced, a basic recruit will typically receive a starting pay of around 26,000 pounds.
