UK to introduce voluntary military gap year for young people

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - The UK is set to introduce a voluntary military gap year scheme aimed at boosting armed forces recruitment and preparing young people for future security threats.

Details shared with The i Paper show the program will open for recruitment in March 2026 and be available to under-25s.

The program will initially take around 150 participants, hoping to expand it to more than 1,000 a year.

Modelled on a similar scheme in Australia, the paid program is designed to introduce school and college leavers to military life without requiring a long-term commitment.

Participants would gain training and transferable skills, with the option to continue into full-time service if they choose.

Those who stay on could receive further training to allow deployment on operations.

The British military is currently involved in NATO missions on the Russian border, UN peacekeeping operations in Africa, and is planning to send troops to Ukraine following a ceasefire.

Under current plans, the army element of the scheme would last two years, starting with a 13-week basic training course before recruits specialize in a specific area.

The Royal Navy is planning a one-year “profession agnostic employment scheme” offering basic training to work on board ships and exposure to a range of naval careers. The Royal Air Force (RAF) is still “scoping” options.

The initiative forms part of a broader “whole of society” approach to defense and is aimed at engaging Gen Z, with polls suggesting many young people are unwilling to fight for their country.

It follows repeated warnings from senior defense figures that the UK is not ready for war.

Last year, Gen. Sir Patrick Sanders, a senior retired army officer, said Britain should “train and equip” a “citizen army” in response to Russian aggression, while stressing he was not calling for conscription.