From March 2026, school and college leavers across the North will have a new option: a paid ‘gap year’ with the Army, Royal Navy or RAF. The pilot will take 150 under‑25s, rising to more than 1,000 a year if ministers are satisfied. Participants will not deploy on operations and salary details are still to come, officials say.

Any Army intake will start with 13 weeks of basic training. For infantry, that pipeline runs through the Infantry Training Centre at Catterick in North Yorkshire, which trains all Army infantry recruits and now has upgraded urban ‘skills houses’ at Whinny Hill to sharpen close‑quarters drills.

Defence Secretary John Healey says the scheme will give young people “incredible skills and training” and wants families talking about the armed forces over the holidays as choices are weighed. The RAF’s version is still being scoped, while the Navy plan centres on a one‑year general training route.

Conservatives dismissed the scale. Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge called 150 places “barely a pilot” that “does nothing” for war readiness, and pointed to a Tory proposal to move up to £50bn from climate and science funds into defence.

The idea borrows from Australia’s long‑running ADF Gap Year. In 2023, 664 people enlisted across the Navy, Army and Air Force; a little over half moved into permanent roles, according to the Defence annual report. Ministers will be watching those conversion rates closely.

For parents in our patch, Catterick matters. It’s the Army’s infantry training hub and has been investing in facilities, from modern urban training spaces to welfare support. An MoD inspection this year praised medical and dental care but noted ageing buildings, with a new community facility on the way.

Timelines and content will differ by service. Current plans point to a two‑year Army placement beginning with 13 weeks’ basic training; the Navy’s scheme is slated for a single year of general training; RAF options remain under development. A separate, small Army internship exists already but saw fewer than 10 enrollments last academic year.

This is part of a wider push to reconnect the public with defence. The government has accepted a Strategic Defence Review recommendation to expand cadet forces by 30% by 2030, backed by £70m. That growth should mean more school‑based cadet opportunities across the North.

Senior commanders frame it as a whole‑of‑society effort. The Chief of the Defence Staff recently argued Britain needs more people ready to fight, alongside industry and education stepping up on skills and resilience.

Perspective is needed on impact. Former Army chief Lord Richard Dannatt told BBC Radio 4 the new route will help recruiting and give valuable exposure to discipline and problem‑solving, but will only make a difference “in the margins” against the Russia threat.