Pilot programme for under-25s will offer paid placements aimed at introducing participants to military life
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.
These will be paid, two-year placements, although it has not been revealed how much each participant will be paid.
After the scheme’s launch, the government plans to expand it to more than 1,000 per year, according to the i paper. It would not involve deployment to active operations, and there would be no obligation to stay in the military after completing the scheme, as it aims to teach transferable skills that can be used in other industries.
