Surprising Gap Year roles Aussie school leavers want

The Australian Defence Force is recruiting young people for a number of roles with no experience needed. See the jobs and what six-figure salaries it can lead to.

A stint in camouflage could be the new Contiki as the Australian Defence Force tries to recruit school leavers during their Gap Year.

Defence is advertising for a range of administration and logistics positions for people with no experience – and last month alone added 176 Gap Year recruits.

Transport roles, with salaries ranging from $55,000 to $75,000 a year, are being promoted as a chance to sit “in the drivers seat of a range of high spec military vehicles”, while administration assistant roles, paying up to $75,000, are “unlike anything you’d encounter in most Gap Year jobs”.

The roles, which are being offered nationwide to anyone aged over 17 years, follow the ADF’s recent decision to widen the armed forces’ eligibility criteria.

“A Gap Year in the Army gives you an exciting taste of life in the ADF with just one year’s commitment,” one of the advertisements reads.

“You’ll get paid for meaningful work, receive full Army training, and enjoy memorable experiences.”

Defence is advertising for a range of administration and logistics positions for people with no experience. Picture: Supplied

Gap Year roles have surged in recent years from 593 in 2018 to a target of 881 this year.

A Defence spokesman said the program was a form of entry that allowed 17 to 24 year olds with Year 12 education to experience elements of ADF life for up to 12 months, without the commitment of a longer initial period of service.

Despite not having to serve longer than a year, Gap Year recruits get the same employment benefits as other ADF personnel, including access to subsidised accommodation and meals and full medical and dental coverage.

Psychologist and SAS veteran Harry Moffitt previously worked with the gap year recruits.

Hundreds of Aussie school leavers are joing the ADF during their Gap Year.

“I actually think it’s a nation building activity and it’s probably under invested in one of those things where, you know, a little bit of investment it could be a winner,” he said.

“If you believe the statistics on younger generations, they’re doing everything a little bit later, and potentially maturing a bit later than in years gone by.

“So it’s not a bad extension to year 10, 11, 12, whatever it is to have a year just to think and break the bonds of home as well,” Mr Moffitt said.

The military offered “plenty of skills” to young people.

Psychologist and SAS veteran Harry Moffitt. Picture: Daryl Wright

“A lot of people just use the military for a bit of a buffer to before they go on to other things in life. Or just take a few years out and explore the military,” he said.

“I actually think we’ll see a bit of a growth in this type of training and application for the next generation that’s coming … which we know maybe don’t come built with the same resilience factors that we’ve taken for granted in previous years.”

As well as Gap Year positions, there are more than 250 jobs going that don’t require any experience, including the “highly classified” role of Electronic Warfare Operator which “disrupts enemy transmissions”.

The latest Hays Salary Guide reveals some of the six figure salaries that can be earned at the ADF, including engineering managers that earn between $180,000 -$250,000, systems engineers who earn between $140,000 and $200,000 and mechanical drafter who earn up to $140,000.

Meanwhile, the ADF’s new eligibility criteria allows for eligible Kiwis who are living in Australia to apply to join from July and permanent residents from the UK, US and Canada to apply from early next year.

The ADF has also relaxed its medical criteria – 14 conditions which previously prevented about 70 per cent of potential ADF recruits to be automatically rejected.

Braces, acne and mental health challenges are no longer deterrents.