Details of military gap year for UK's under 25s revealed

Details of the government's incoming military gap year programme have been revealed.

The government announced the scheme earlier this year, which is aimed at getting more teenagers interested in serving in the Armed Forces.

The scheme will open in March 2026 for under-25s and begin with around 150 young people being recruited for placements of up to two years, before expanding to more than 1,000 per year.

It would be a paid gap year, though the amount given to participants has not been revealed. Recruits would not be deployed on active operations.

Specifically, the scheme aims to introduce citizens to military life early, with the hope being that they choose to continue serving afterwards - although there would be no obligation, and the scheme will aim to teach participants transferable skills.

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 one year and provide maritime skills that could be applied to other sailing professions.

The RAF scheme is less developed, with the branch said to be "scoping" options.

An attempt to 'reconnect society with our forces'

Defence Secretary John Healey wrote on X: "This scheme will give Britain's young people a taste of the extraordinary skills and training on offer across the Army, Royal Navy and RAF.

"As young people discuss their futures, I want opportunities in our Armed Forces to be part of their conversation.

"This is part of our determination to reconnect society with our forces, and drive a whole of society approach to our nation's defence."

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Sky News political correspondent Rob Powell said: "The schemes are aimed at building teamwork skills, leadership skills, and problem-solving skills. But even for the people that didn't stay in the forces, they're intended as a sort of primer for other professions to equip you with transferable skills that you could then take into whatever career you went on to pursue."

The army already offers gap year placements for young people before, during or immediately after university, which last one year, but it has struggled for engagement, with fewer than 10 people enrolling in 2024/25.

It is also only available for those considering officer training, whereas the new gap year scheme is expected to be open more widely.

Ex-minister warns 'major cyberattack' on UK imminent

The Conservatives have criticised the plan, saying it doesn't go far enough, and the numbers are too low.

Former defence minister Tobias Ellwood told Sky News that while he was supportive of the scheme, he would advocate for a wider discussion about National Service in the face of growing Russian aggression.

Mr Ellwood said: "It's not Army, Air Force, Navy, it's not Dad's Army, it's not national service and the old guys that we remember, but it's having cybersecurity capabilities. More coast guards, able to monitor our undersea cables, disinformation capabilities, too, or even critical national infrastructure.

"If any town lost power for 72 hours - water and internet - how would we cope? You could see societies breaking down unless we start to prepare for those moments."

He suggested a "major cyber-attack" on the UK, lasting 24, 48 hours or longer, was imminent, adding, "It's our transparency, it's our openness, which now so makes us so vulnerable. We need to wake up to that."

The scheme will take inspiration from a similar scheme in Australia for 17 to 25-year-olds, which saw 664 people enlist in 2023, with a little more than half going on to a permanent role in the country's defence force.

Other European countries are also looking to bolster their defence forces amid threats from Russia, with France, Germany and Belgium also introducing schemes this year.

Earlier this month, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton warned that the UK's "sons and daughters" would need to be "ready" to fight if the country needed them.

The stark comments came after his French counterpart, General Fabien Mandon, said that France must be ready for the possibility of losing its children in a potential war with Russia.

In February, a YouGov and Public First poll commissioned by The Times found that only 11% of Gen Z adults in the UK - those aged 18-27 - would choose to fight for their country.

The number had halved from the same poll taken 20 years prior with adults in the same age bracket.

Most people in the UK no longer have direct experience of the Armed Forces thanks to the peace that followed the end of the Cold War almost 35 years ago.

(c) Sky News 2025: Details of military gap year for UK's under 25s revealed