Young jobseekers in the UK are facing one of the toughest employment environments in years. According to the latest figures from High Fliers Research, leading graduate employers have cut their vacancies by nearly 28% in the last year.



Add to this the fact that the downturn has seen a record number of school leavers chasing limited university places and it should come as no surprise that there has been a significant increase in the amount of young people taking time out before studying or finding a job.

In fact, some gap year travel firms are seeing as much as a 75% increase in those interested in taking a gap year, while inquiries to the travel industry as a whole are up by 20%, reports the Guardian.

Not all gap years are planned

A growing number of students are taking unexpected gap years due to fierce competition for university places.

According to the Guardian, an estimated 130,000 students were unable to secure a degree place this year. Fortunately, it seems as if many of them are choosing to use their time off constructively.

One such student is Will Pitt from Surrey. Despite completing his A-Levels with three As and a B in maths, further maths, chemistry and economics; the young man learned that none of his university applications to read medicine had been accepted.

Instead of giving up on his career aspirations, Will decided to improve his chances of being accepted into medicine next year by signing up for the Medforce gap year scheme in India.

"I hadn't originally wanted to do a gap year, but now I've kind of been forced to, I'm going to use it to make sure I stand out as a candidate next year," he said.

"I actually feel glad now that I wasn't awarded a place when I first applied,” he added.

Enhancing your CV

Whether it is a matter of choice or necessity, a strategic gap year can help you gain transferable skills and experience that could enhance your future job or education prospects.

A number of employers share this viewpoint, reports Graduatecareer, a supplement compiled by The Times and Milkround.com.

Claire Snell, graduate talent manager at Unilever, told the publication that around 50% of her firm's graduate trainees had taken gap years and added that time off could “significantly bolster a candidate's CV”.

However, not all gap years are equal in the eye of the employer.

According to Marlon Lloyd Malcolm from the recruitment firm Graduate Fasttrack, the growing popularity of gap years means employers now look for an experience that sets candidates apart.

He suggested a work placement in the UK, learning a foreign language or starting up a small business as constructive gap year options.

Time out also gives young people a chance to learn soft skills such as teamwork, effective communication and resourcefulness – which are required in any workplace.

A recent survey conducted by youth and education charity Raleigh International found that almost 90% of recruiters took attributes like these into consideration when selecting which candidates to put forward for graduate jobs in 2009.

“In this job market, evidence of soft skills and the ability to show how you can add value to an organisation are going to be more important than ever,” advised Raleigh's chief executive Stacey Adams.

“This can be really tough for new graduates when they don't have much previous work experience – although all of the graduate recruiters that we work with tell us that a well constructed gap year is a great way to develop these soft skills.”

What are the options open to Gappers?

In keeping with the current economic climate, there certainly seems to be a move towards gap year schemes that pay or include qualifications.

Roger Salwey, managing director of gap year provider Oyster Worldwide told the Guardian that his firm had experienced more demand for paid work than volunteer projects.

"In the last week I have noticed a 20% increase in phone calls and email inquiries about our paid work schemes – for example, working on farms in Australia or in Canadian ski resorts – but no change in those wanting to do voluntary work," he said.

Organisations that arrange job placements have also received more applications for their services this year compared with last year.

The Year in Industry, which offers students paid placements during their gap years, has seen the amount of graduates and school leavers applying for its programmes climbing by 52% in the last year.

Similarly, PricewaterhouseCoopers saw interest in its gap year internship scheme surge by 30% in August alone.

It doesn't have to be all work and no play

Some experts say that purposeful travel can be just as valuable as staying in the UK and gaining work experience.

According to Skyscanner, a travel search website, there are plenty of “tactical” gap year programmes available that combine travel with specialist work experience.

These include the Medforce programme, which organises volunteer placements in medical centres around the world for those keen to gain medical experience; teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL), a great way to gain valuable work experience and learn a new language; working a ski season; or making a difference with VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas), an international development charity that recruits volunteers to work on projects in some of the poorest regions of the world.

All of these schemes can be tailored to suit either young and unskilled people or experienced professionals.

The rise of ‘grey gappers' and career-breakers

While gap years are traditionally viewed as a rite of passage for the young, a recent survey by Halifax Unsecured Personal Loans reveals that students are not the only people who could benefit from a gap year.

According to the study, 49% of respondents aged 55 to 64 would consider taking a mature gap year.

Commenting on the findings, director of loans at Halifax Russell Galley said:

“A mature gap year is a wonderful opportunity to experience different ways of life and see other parts of the world.”

And it's not only those who are reaching retirement age who are considering a gap year. An increasing number of UK workers in their late 20s, 30s and 40s are taking career-breaks.

This is partly due to the surge in companies offering their staff sabbaticals at reduced pay to manage costs yet retain talent until the economy turns a corner.

Earlier this year, BT employees were offered the choice of retaining their jobs but taking up to a year of annual leave with a 75% pay cut. BT brand manager, 36-year-old Jon Hawkins, decided to make the most of this opportunity.

“The 25% salary will pay our mortgage while my wife, 18-month-old son and I spend two months travelling through Japan, New Zealand and Bali,” he told The Times.

However, a career break should not be viewed purely as a holiday, advises Rachel Morgan-Trimmer, founder of thecareerbreaksite.com.

“A career break has to be constructive,” she told The Times.

“People who have set themselves challenges will be viewed better professionally, and meeting them makes them feel more capable,” she added.

No matter what age you are, it seems as if a well-thought-out gap year can provide a valuable opportunity to learn new and transferable skills, enhance your CV, and most importantly - build confidence in yourself and your abilities.