Nothing short of National Service will solve the youth unemployment crisis, the military recruitment crisis, the obesity and couch potato crisis and the rampant in discipline and fecklessness which exists.
Two years of National Service, followed by business mentoring for the intellectually challenged, would more than pay for itself by eliminating NEETS who number more than 1.4 million, fixing youth crime and the associated policing and custodial costs.
While people were serving abroad in barracks or Navy ships they would not require homes. These could be built using refurbished shipping containers, 3D printing and systems assembly on brownfield land during the period of overseas service.
Benefits would be turned into universal income, which would require work in exchange. People with normal jobs or businesses would be able to keep this income but would pay a flat tax on all of it plus their universal income. Benefit recipients would get universal income tax-free but would do work as directed based on their capabilities but from 16 to 18 everyone with few exceptions would do compulsory National Service.
Warfighting would be undertaken by regular troops, supplemented by robots, and drones with those in National Service undertaking support and logistics roles under supervision.
Dr Alf's Blog 