A “gap year” scheme to give school and college leavers a taste of the Army, Royal Navy or RAF without a long term commitment, is to be launched by the government.
The course is aimed at under-25s and is part of efforts to solve long-term recruitment and retention problems in the armed forces.
Applications to be part of the first of 150 recruits open in the spring, with plans for that number to grow to 1,000 young people a year. The programme will be paid but officials have yet to announce a salary.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the scheme would offer young people “incredible skills and training”. However the Conservatives criticised the small number of recruits.
Recruits to the “gap year” programme will not be deployed on active operations, and the content of the courses is still said to be in development.
The Army scheme would see recruits receive 13 weeks of basic training as part of a two-year placement, while the Navy scheme would last a year and provide general training for sailors, according to the i newspaper. The RAF scheme is less developed.
Under a separate scheme, The Army currently offers 30 gap year placements for young people before, during or immediately after university and only for those considering officer training – though fewer than 10 people enrolled in the last academic year.
The new gap year scheme is expected to be open more widely.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) says those who join the programme will learn leadership, teamwork and problem solving skills to set them up “for life” whether they pursue a career in the armed forces or not.
Officials hope the scheme will bring a broader range of people into the forces and that some decide to stay to pursue a career in the military.
“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,” Healey said.
The defence secretary echoed his remarks when announcing the government’s defence strategy in the summer, in which he said the threats the UK now faces require a “new era” of defence.
Healey also said the scheme was part of the government’s “whole-of-society approach” to defence and deterrence, including preventing a potential confrontation with Russia.
Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: “As ever with Labour, the reality does not match the spin.
“A scheme involving just 150 participants is barely a pilot, let alone the ‘whole-of-society’ response they claim to be delivering.”
He added that, while the Australian scheme this one was based on “has its strengths”, the “tiny numbers do nothing for our war readiness”.
Cartlidge said the Tories were “serious about defending our country”, pointing to its proposal to move up to £50bn from climate and science funds into defence.
The “gap year” scheme was a recommendation of the government’s strategic defence review in June inspired by a similar scheme by the Australian Defence Force (ADF), which is open to young people aged between 17 and 24.
That scheme has been in operation for more than a decade, with applicants offered the chance “get a feel for military life while enjoying unique experiences you can’t find anywhere else”.
In 2023, 664 people enlisted, with a little more than half then going into a permanent role in the nation’s military.
The UK’s “gap year” programme is part of several proposals to boost the number of people with military experience. The government also hopes to increase the number of cadets by 30%.
Other European nations – such as France and Germany – have recently re-introduced some form of voluntary national service in response to the threat posed by Russia.
Lord Richard Dannatt, who served as the head of the Army from 2006 to 2009, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the UK’s “gap year” scheme would have an impact “in the margins” when it came to the threat posed by Russia.
He said it would “play a little bit towards improving recruiting”, adding: “But rather more importantly, it gives a number of people who may well choose a different career path in life some exposure to the armed forces, some exposure to the discipline and problem solving skills.”
