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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Aneesa Ahmed and agencies

Ministry of Defence to offer gap year–style scheme to young people

Royal Marine Commandos on a training walk on Ben Nevis
The British army already runs an internship scheme, but it had a low uptake in 2024/25, with only 10 people enrolling. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

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.

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