| New research has found that a large number of undergraduates are contemplating a gap year, despite the current economic climate, and that employers need to do more to recognise the skills that gappies develop during their time away. |
| Gap years popular as UK graduates try to escape the downturn
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| | Research conducted by
TMP Worldwide and
TARGETjobs shows that
12% of penultimate and
final-year university
students are definite
about taking a gap year,
while 42% think they
probably will take a
year off. Of those not
taking a gap year, over
half (51%) just want to
get cracking with their
career while a quarter
(26%) are put off by
costs.
While gap years could
seem a good way to
escape the downturn,
undergraduates still
need to be career
focused in their reasons
for taking the time off.
According to the
research, 76% of
undergraduates want the
space and time to think
about what they really
want to do with their
careers; 59% want to
broaden their view of
the world; and 54% want | |
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| | to develop the skills
they think employers
want. Enjoyment is still
a part of the equation,
however, with over a
quarter (28%) just
wanting to have fun.
However, gappies are
failing to maximise on
their experiences. One
in five students who had
taken a gap year felt
that employers were not
interested; 6% struggled
to communicate the
skills obtained; and 13%
did not even mention
their gap year in
conversations to
employers.
“A lot of final-year
students are planning a
gap year to let the dust
settle after what has
been a turbulent time in
the UK economy; however,
they need to plan it
carefully to make sure
they’re more employable
when they return and
look for permanent | |
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Independence
(61%)
Communication
skills (50%)
Cultural
awareness (45%)
Language skills
(34%)
Teamwork (22%)
Entrepreneurialism
(20%)
Commercial
skills (17%)
Customer
awareness (7%)
Undergraduates on the
whole do feel immune to
the market slump, with
41% believing it to be a
pretty good graduate
jobs market. Although
37% feel that the
current job market is a
bit quiet, only 12%
believe that the credit
crunch is having a real
impact. Responses on
confidence in getting a
job compared to six
months ago were split
into thirds: 34% felt | |
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| | more confident; 35% felt
the same; and 31% felt
less confident.
TMP has pulled
together some Top Tips
for Gappies , based on
the advice of previous
gappies):
Try to get a job
before going away and
defer your offer for a
year;
Know how you’re
going to engage with
employers on your
return;
Communicate the
employment benefits of
gap years to employers;
Use the
experience to increase
your view of the world
and the different types
of careers and jobs that
you are interested in;
Have fun but
keep in mind that you’ll
need to find employment
on your return. | |
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| | jobs,” commented Jayne
Cullen, head of graduate
solutions, TMP
Worldwide. “They need to
make sure that they not
only develop the right
skills, such as
communication and
teamwork, but also
ensure they can
demonstrate the skills
they have learnt to
potential employers when
they return.”
The main skills that
students believe they
will develop during a
gap year are:
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