Teenagers are set to be offered paid gap year placements with the armed forces, a step towards a new “whole of society” approach to national defence.
The scheme, launching in March 2026, will initially recruit around 150 people for up to two years, expanding to over 1,000 annually, The i Paper reported.
Its goal is to introduce military life or provide transferable skills, even if participants choose not to enlist.
Open to under-25s, recruits will not face active deployment. Payment details remain unclear.
This initiative comes after the chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, urged Britain’s “sons and daughters” to be “ready to fight” in a collective effort to defend the country amid Russian aggression.
Defence secretary John Healey told The i 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.”
The army scheme would see recruits receive 13 weeks of basic training as part of a two-year placement, while the Royal Navy scheme would last one year and provide “profession agnostic” training for sailors, according to reports.
The RAF scheme is less developed, with the branch said to be “scoping” options.
The army currently offers gap year placements for young people before, during or immediately after university, which last one year.
Some 30 places are available on the army internship scheme, formerly known as gap year commissions, but fewer than 10 people were enrolled in 202425.
The internship is also only available for those considering officer training, while the new gap year scheme is expected to be open more widely.
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.
Other European countries have looked to national service in response to the threat from Russia, with France, Germany and Belgium introducing schemes this year.
Poland intercepts Russian plane as foreign objects enter airspace
Email from Balmoral from ‘A’ asked for ‘inappropriate friends’, documents show
How Seuk Kim's tragic plane crash built a volunteer army of pet rescuers
How 2025 became the year of the cyber hack – and what British businesses face next
Beckhams among star-studded guestlist attending Holly Ramsay and Adam Peaty’s wedding
Gordon Ramsay’s daughter Holly weds Olympian Adam Peaty amid family fall-out
