Our resident youth expert has warned Sydney Anglicans not to ‘cynically dismiss’ the Prime Minister’s push for defence force gap year recruits as a quick fix for the dwindling numbers of ADF staff.

“Mr Howard has rightly identified the benefits of taking a ‘year off’ to help school-leavers make wise decisions about their future,” says Jodie McNeill, Director of the Anglican Youthworks Year 13 Gospel Gap Year.

The Your.sydneyanglican.net columnist says ‘too many people waste their time and money commencing unsuitable courses’ and then drop out.

“Recruiting people into the ADF through the gap-year front-door is good policy. It allows potential defence force personnel to make sure they are suited to this specialised work, and gives them a chance to have a fun time in the process,” he says.

“But, it also gives these school-leavers an opportunity to serve—something our increasingly materialistic society needs more of.”

The way overseas service changes young people’s perception of the world, is something Mr McNeill has witnessed first-hand.

Each year Mr McNeill takes a team of 26 students in the Anglican Youthworks Year 13 Gospel Gap Year to Kenya, Africa.

“Their month-long trip has taught them lessons they would never learn in a classroom, and given them insights they could never get from the Discovery Channel,” he says.

“Apart from the self-awareness benefits, a gap year allows school leavers to give something back to others. Whether it’s caring for AIDS patients in a slum in Nairobi, or caring for kids in a disability camp in Sydney, a gap year gives an opportunity to serve others.”

Photo: Alex de Sousa