U.K. unveils paid armed forces ‘gap year’ for young people

A soldier attends the annual Service of Remembrance at The Cenotaph on Armistice Day in London, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025.

Young people in Britain will soon be offered the chance of a “gap year” through a new paid program in the armed forces, the government announced Saturday.

Set to launch in March 2026, the Armed Forces Foundation Scheme aims to initially recruit around 150 people to experience military life, without long-term commitment.

The program will give participants the opportunity to spend a year training and working across the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Government officials hope to grow the scheme to over 1,000 young people, “subject to interest,” the government said in a statement.

Defense Secretary John Healey said the scheme marked “a new era for Defence,” adding that it would open up opportunities for young people to experience the skills and training offered by the armed forces.

The program is aimed at school leavers and young adults under 25, who may be unsure about their future career path. Those taking part will be paid and offered hands-on exposure to life in the armed forces, including basic training and placements that could involve working at sea or alongside specialist units. Participants in the proposed gap-year program would not be sent on active operations.

Officials say details of the training curriculum are still being finalized. While salary hasn’t been announced, a basic recruit typically receives a starting pay of around £26,000.

The government says the scheme will focus on developing transferable skills also valued in the civilian workforce, including logistics, engineering and supply-chain management. That also includes bespoke training designed to build skills such as “problem-solving, teamwork and leadership.”

According to the British government, the announcement follows a “rallying cry” from the head of the armed forces, Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, who says there is a need for a “whole-nation response to an increasingly volatile and uncertain world.”

The government also noted that the effort comes as part of its broader push for a “whole of society” approach to defense, a “central theme” of this year’s Strategic Defence Review.

The program draws inspiration from the Australian Defence Force’s long-running ADF Gap Year scheme, which has operated for more than a decade. Similar initiatives have been introduced elsewhere in Europe, with countries like France and Germany recently launching programs aimed at increasing young voluntary national service.

By Alessandra Freitas, CNN