The majority of youngsters taking part in a “voluntary service year” with the armed forces have decided to stay on, the defence ministry said on Thursday.

In total, 102 school leavers who spent time with the military as part of an experiment to increase the number of recruits have opted to join up in some form, the ministry told broadcaster NOS.

The project aims to expose as many people to working for the armed forces through a low threshold entry scheme.

Youngsters who want to join go through the same regular tests as any recruit but do not have to commit to staying past a year. “It is good if people just try it out,” project leader Erik Noordam said.

Last year, 136 people started the pilot programme and only 10 dropped out during the year.

Junior defence minister Gijs Tuinman, a former professional soldier, said he is pleased with the results.

“Above all, I hope the recruits stay and serve for a long time,” he said. “The world has become less secure in recent years, which is why good and motivated people are desperately needed.”

The second year of the project starts in September and the minister expects between 500 and 600 people to take part. In total, 3,000 applied for a place.

Active military service was abolished in the Netherlands in 1997 although all boys and, since 2019, girls are sent a letter in the year they turn 17 informing them they have been added to the military service register.

They can be called up at any time if the Netherlands goes to war with another country before they turn 45.