Armed forces for gap year

It's an interesting thought though. Might suit some.

Its for 150 young people only and its intention is for those who wish to enter the military

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/dec/27/ministry-of-defence-to-offer-gap-year-style-scheme-to-young-people

Although, of course, it is a voluntary scheme at the moment, it looks a bit like the old compulsory National Service scheme except it is for women as well.

I agree with Luckygirl3 that is a shame that the military has to be involved as needless to say participants will be taught fighting skills as part of the deal.

We were so lucky to have subsidised further education .... I left uni with a degree plus post grad and owed not a jot to anyone.

There’s nothing compulsory about it.
It’s to give a taste of the military life with no commitment beyond the year and is paid.
I think it’s an excellent idea but the number of 150 is way way too few.

We need more people who are willing and able to fight. Obviously everyone hopes they will never need to do it, but the world is not a safe place, and if we remain under-resourced militarily we will be at risk of attack.

I don't see this as remotely the same as the old compulsory NS scheme - what is it that makes you say that, Magenta?

This is from the article in the link - there is no mention of compulsory activity, and the scheme would not place the young people on active service. Nothing like the old NS at all.

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.

Currently, the forces sponsor students on all sorts of degrees. Their fees are paid in return for a spell in the branch of the forces they sign up to - if they leave before their time is up they have to repay the money. This is not much different from that, is it? I am very much in favour of free education, but see no harm in expecting something back. Not money, as some have so much more than others, but service of some sort, whether it is military or civilian.

Modern warfare would be different from the old way, which involved soldiers being posted to fight. As we are a nuclear power, the chances are (as for as I can tell) more likely that we would suffer disruption of all sorts of systems, and we would need people 'on the ground' who are capable of stepping in to ensure that the population has access to food, electricity, water etc, and that communication systems are kept live, as well as people who can defend the country with guns and other weapons.

A scheme like this would help us to achieve a sort of home guard who would have the skills the experts need. It would also help people to find careers, as it would show initiative and a sound skills base - a bit like a D of E award or those schemes where people who can afford it go to exotic places in their gap year to volunteer, and hope it advantages their university applications. This would have the advantage of being open to a wider section of society, as there would be some sort of salary attached.

The Devil will be in the detail, as always, but at first glance it looks like a good idea to me. If they took old crocks I might be tempted to sign up.

Great post Doodledog. I agree with every word.

I think it’s an excellent idea. It will also teach skills that are different from the curriculum, such as resilience, problem solving and working in a team.
Our younger DS achieved the Chief Scout award and when he went to university he joined the Officer Training Corps. He honed the skills of leadership, using ones initiative and team building. Apart from being able to play rugby against the army teams, but that’s another story!
All these skills are essential in the world of work and socially, the more young people who can acquire them the better.

I agree the scheme bears very little resemblance to compulsory National Service at the moment.

What concerns me is that it could easily, over a period of years, become, first of all, a usual and acceptable way of spending a gap year, then drifting into being compulsory for anyone wishing to do a university course and finally becoming compulsory for all 18 year olds. I very much hope I am wrong.

In other words I see this scheme as a potential "Thin end of the wedge."

Oreo

There’s nothing compulsory about it.
It’s to give a taste of the military life with no commitment beyond the year and is paid.
I think it’s an excellent idea but the number of 150 is way way too few.

Agreed an excellent idea.
Even if people decide not to stay they'll pick up transferable skills, make friends, grow up( if they need to) and hopefully have some fun.

My Dad always blamed ending conscription for the decline in the behaviour and respect in the younger generation. His stock answer to any misdemeanour was that they need a damn good spell in the Army.
It depends how it is implemented. If it is just for gap year students then that would very likely exclude a large number of the poorer and underachieving youngsters who might really benefit from a spell in the military, learning the skills they would otherwise not have a chance to learn.

The Armed Forces has paid for students to go through university for years.

This sounds like a good idea as it gives them a taster year first with no obligation to sign on.

What concerns me is that it could easily, over a period of years, become, first of all, a usual and acceptable way of spending a gap year, then drifting into being compulsory for anyone wishing to do a university course and finally becoming compulsory for all 18 year olds. I very much hope I am wrong.

I can't see that happening unless we find ourselves at war, in which case there would be no luxury of a gap year style entry or paid university courses.

Excellent post Doodledog.

Allira

^What concerns me is that it could easily, over a period of years, become, first of all, a usual and acceptable way of spending a gap year, then drifting into being compulsory for anyone wishing to do a university course and finally becoming compulsory for all 18 year olds. I very much hope I am wrong.^

I can't see that happening unless we find ourselves at war, in which case there would be no luxury of a gap year style entry or paid university courses.

Voluteers, not compulsory.

Fine if that is what a young person desires. Not a choice I'd want ours to have made. Merely a different choice for gap year.

It is indeed voluntary, but seems to be being sold as a way of getting an education. My hope is that one day all young people can get such an education paid for in ways that do not require them to have an interest in the armed forces. It seems a bit unfair that those with no military ambitions cannot receive what they need without going into massive debt. Their future value to society is also important.

Luckygirl3

Just seen this on news. Hailed as an opportunity for learning skills and being paid. While a young person wishing to take a degree has to get themselves into massive debt.
What a shame that they have to embrace the military to get a good educational deal.

UK military services have always offered to fund an entire University undergrad course in various specialties ( Medicine is one) . In exchange the successful student is committed to serve for x years.

Luckygirl3

It is indeed voluntary, but seems to be being sold as a way of getting an education. My hope is that one day all young people can get such an education paid for in ways that do not require them to have an interest in the armed forces. It seems a bit unfair that those with no military ambitions cannot receive what they need without going into massive debt. Their future value to society is also important.

Anyone can apply for an apprenticeship...and thats all this is ...not even a full apprenticeship....just a taster ...its not a substitute for uni....if young people fancy having a go...thats great...if they don't thats fine too....we can't go back in time ...and if we did , uni would be far less inclusive....hardly anyone went back in my day ( I'm 60) ....not one of my friends went...me included....I now have a masters but all paid by the nhs ....there's ways and means of getting an education paid for if you look for them

I think it is far more sensible use of time than a gap year.
At present an experiment but if successful it will be expanded.
I would have been agreeable if my children had wanted to try it.

I think that complaining about this scheme not being the same as a free education for all is letting great become the enemy of good.

I would be first in the queue to sign a petition for free education. I have marched in favour of it and lost pay by striking over its loss, but that doesn't mean that I would stand in the way of other initiatives that seem also to be good for young people because free education was taken away.

I wouldn't like to see conscription into military service return, but I don't see this as the same at all, and there is nothing I can see that suggests that it would become compulsory. If (Heaven forbid) the UK gets involved in a land war, conscription would become necessary, but it would be very different from this scheme as it would be a case of fight or die.

For decades we have lived with the understanding that the US would lead NATO and that therefore we are not at risk of invasion or attack. That has changed under Trump, and who knows if or when the situation will change. It is, therefore, important that we take some measures to protect ourselves, and this would seem to be a good start.

Oreo

There’s nothing compulsory about it.
It’s to give a taste of the military life with no commitment beyond the year and is paid.
I think it’s an excellent idea but the number of 150 is way way too few.

I50 is the pilot scheme number; it will expand to 1000.

Anything has to be better than paying unemployed young people to stay at home in bed staring at their screens and phones.

butterandjam

Oreo

There’s nothing compulsory about it.
It’s to give a taste of the military life with no commitment beyond the year and is paid.
I think it’s an excellent idea but the number of 150 is way way too few.

I50 is the pilot scheme number; it will expand to 1000.

Anything has to be better than paying unemployed young people to stay at home in bed staring at their screens and phones.

Anything has to be better than paying unemployed young people to stay at home in bed staring at their screens and phones.

The ones that do that will not be the ones applying for this scheme.

My personal view is that all children leaving school should do a year in voluntary work before going on to whatever they are going on to
But no I don’t agree with compulsory military service

Not all can afford to do voluntary work though.
Their parents might not be able to keep them if they themselves are struggling.