UK to Introduce One-Year Youth Contracts with £26,000 Pay in 2026

The British Armed Forces plan to introduce a “gap year” program for young people, allowing them to serve for one year before starting university.

According to LBC, the program will offer paid training to people aged 18–25 in the Army, the Royal Navy, and the Royal Air Force.

The initiative aims to boost military recruitment, especially among young people, and is part of broader efforts to address the armed forces’ personnel shortage.

The program is expected to begin in early 2026 with about 150 participants and could later expand to more than 1,000 places, depending on demand.

The program will start in March and is intended to provide young people with a clear pathway into a military career. Participants will undergo intensive basic training without the need to go through the standard recruitment competition.

The expected salary will be around £26,000 per year, matching the pay level of new recruits.

The initiative is inspired by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Gap Year program, which has been successfully operating for more than ten years and is referenced in the UK’s Strategic Defence Review as a useful model to follow.

Sources in the Ministry of Defence also note a high retention rate among program participants, many of whom go on to continue serving in the Armed Forces.

Addressing the crisis in the British Army

In late November, the UK Ministry of Defence reported a significant positive shift in personnel trends within the Armed Forces.

For the first time in a long period, the number of new recruits joining the regular forces exceeded the number of personnel leaving service. Over the past 12 months, 14,100 people joined regular units – 1,650 more than in the previous period, representing an increase of around 13%.

Meanwhile, 13,860 service members left the military, an 8% decrease, mainly due to a reduction in voluntary departures. Overall, the net increase in personnel stood at approximately 240 people.

Although this figure is modest, it indicates a real change in trend after a prolonged period of losses.

The total strength of the British Armed Forces currently stands at 182,060 personnel, a figure considered stable.

This total includes regular service members, reservists, and other categories of military personnel.