Gap Year News Articles

Gap Years getting more serious

9 Jul 2010

Gap Year students are under more pressure to work for the entire year, according to an article by Christopher Middleton, writing for the Telegraph. The article explains how the nature of many students' gap years is changing from a few months' work followed by travelling, to a more focussed year in a work placement. Middleton believes that the pressure to work for the entire year is due to parents becoming more concerned with the use of their children's time, as they constantly hear about graduates struggling to find employment.

The article identifies that while some students choose to spend their gap year doing a work placement that will give them some first-hand experience in their chosen career path, this is not a necessity, and students that have had worthwhile gap experiences often have a social edge over people who have bypassed the gap year. Richard Reed, Co-founder of Innocent smoothies, highlighted the future benefits of gap years, saying: "If you take a year out to do some really interesting things, and hone some skills and experience that you can apply in the workplace, that’s going to be a big help to your career". It was also highlighted that a gap year can be a particularly rewarding experience if you are able to raise money to fund your adventure.