{"id":3451,"date":"2025-12-28T20:03:43","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T20:03:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/badvibes.live\/?p=3451"},"modified":"2025-12-28T20:03:43","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T20:03:43","slug":"teenagers-to-be-offered-military-gap-years-in-a-bid-to-boost-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/badvibes.live\/?p=3451","title":{"rendered":"Teenagers to be offered military \u2018gap years\u2019 in a bid to boost numbers"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Young people could be recruited into the Armed Forces to do paid gap years under new plans.<\/p>\n

It comes after the Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, said Britain\u2019s \u2018sons and daughters\u2019 should be \u2018ready to fight\u2019.<\/p>\n

From March next year, around 150 under-25s will be given military placements of up to two years, according to the i paper.<\/p>\n

The scheme, which is intended to introduce more people to military life, or provide transferable skills if they decide<\/p>\n

However, it is not yet clear how much they will be paid.<\/p>\n

Defence secretary\u00a0John Healey<\/a>\u00a0told the i paper the scheme would \u2018give Britain\u2019s young people a taste of the incredible skills and training on offer across the Army, Royal Navy and\u00a0RAF<\/a>\u2019.<\/p>\n

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\"Members<\/div>
The scheme will expand to offer more than 1,000 placements per year (Picture: Andrew Matthews\/PA Wire)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He added: \u2018As 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.\u2019<\/p>\n

It comes after Air Chief Marshal Sir Knighton called for a \u2018whole of society\u2019 effort to defend the country in the face of Russian aggression.<\/p>\n

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 \u2018profession agnostic\u2019 training for sailors, according to reports.<\/p>\n

The RAF scheme is less developed, with the branch said to be \u2018scoping\u2019 options.<\/p>\n

The Army currently offers gap year placements for young people before, during or immediately after university, which last one year.<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/div>
The scheme is intended to introduce more people to military life, or provide transferable skills if they decide not to enlist afterwards (Picture: Sean Gallup\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Around 30 places are available on the Army internship scheme, formerly known as gap year commissions \u2013 but fewer than 10 people were enrolled in 2024\/25.<\/p>\n

The internship is also only available for those considering officer training, while the new gap year scheme is expected to be open more widely.<\/p>\n

Australia<\/a>\u00a0already offers a gap year scheme for its military for those aged between 17 and 24.<\/p>\n

In 2023, 664 people enlisted in the Australian scheme, with a little more than half going on to a permanent role in the country\u2019s military.<\/p>\n

Other European countries have looked to national service in response to the threat from\u00a0Russia<\/a>, with\u00a0France<\/a>,\u00a0Germany<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Belgium<\/a>\u00a0introducing schemes this year.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/badvibes.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/640x360_MP4_4035421536674165058.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

not to enlist afterwards, will then expand to more than 1,000 gap year placements per year.<\/p>\n

Last month\u00a0France announced it will introduce a voluntary military service\u00a0<\/a>of 10 months beginning next\u00a0summer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

President\u00a0Emmanuel Macron<\/a>\u00a0said the expansion of the French military will focus on volunteers mostly aged 18 to 19.<\/p>\n

He stressed that volunteers would be deployed \u2018only on national soil\u2019 and not to the frontline in Ukraine.<\/p>\n

Volunteers would see \u2018serious\u2019 combat training to \u2018reaffirm the importance of preparing the nation and its morale to face growing threats\u2019, the \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace said.<\/p>\n

The hopes are that 3,000 people will join in the first year.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Young people could be recruited into the Armed Forces to do paid gap years under new plans. It comes after the Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, said Britain\u2019s \u2018sons and daughters\u2019 should be \u2018ready to fight\u2019. From March next year, around 150 under-25s will be given military placements of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3454,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t