School leavers opt for gap years as A Level results come in

Aug. 19, 2010 - PRLog -- A Level results day is finally here and school leavers up and down the country are tearing open envelopes in eager anticipation but this year there’s more to worry about than making the grade. As the aftermath of the government’s budget cuts continues, university places are set to be drastically reduced and an estimated 170,000 hopefuls will be left disappointed.  

Clearing spaces are already stretched to breaking point trying to cater for an ever increasing number of applicants and with the employment market still in recovery, both students with and without the required grades will need to find alternatives.  Gap year travel has always been a popular way to gain skills and experience and this year even more students are expected to take the gap year route.

Companies such as Real Gap Experience offer students not only the chance to take a breather from years of study, but also a range of options that will help them to develop valuable life skills including confidence, independence, drive, adaptability and cultural awareness. Real Gap Experience is the UK’s largest provider of gap year adventures and volunteering holidays and offers over 400 programmes to over 35 countries. Travellers can choose from volunteering, teaching, sports coaching and paid work programmes across Africa, Asia, Australasia and the Americas.

Commenting on this year’s university situation Natasha Owen, Marketing Director for Real Gap Experience, was keen to extol the benefits of gap year travel, ‘A well-chosen gap year which incorporates some work experience or volunteering can certainly help to provide that bit of differentiation for university applications and prepare them more for an independent life at university away from their family. Real Gap offers a diverse range of trips and courses from learning Spanish in Costa Rica to paid work in Australia that will not only help to boost CVs and develop skills but will also be a lot of fun!’

Students who would like to find out more about Real Gap travel opportunities can visit the company website at http://www.realgap.co.uk or call 01892 516164 to speak to an expert adviser.