of a million young people engage in gap activities - and that has helped young Britons stand out in the competitive international jobs market. But we should now take note that other countries are catching on, including the economic powerhouses of the US and Germany. Stefan Wathan is CEO of the not-for-profit Year Out Group. He says about two-thirds of the 25,000 people who take a gap year with them every year are now coming from overseas. “This is a new phenomenon,” he said, “and there is now an American Gap Association.” Responding to Okoro’s comments, Wethan said: “We (in Britain) used to think the gap year was valuable so what has changed? Surely we want all young people to be out there learning languages and getting new experiences.” In the US, Harvard encourages admitted students to defer enrollment for a year “to travel, pursue a special project or activity, work, or spend time in another meaningful way.” Its website states that it has admitted students in part because they accomplished something unusual during a year off. Tufts, Princeton and Brown universities offer a ‘Bridge Year’ giving permission to incoming freshmen to engage in the service sector. If the Ivy League universities in the US - often obsessed with the effective use of time and results that are measurable - are supporting gap experiences, that must go some of the way to proving the worth of structured time out. Gap experiences may not only better a CV but also better an individual. They can be a rich opportunity for personal development: a time to step back and reflect; to gain perspective on values and goals; to be removed from the pressures and expectations of familiar surrounds. Many head off to higher education with new visions of their academic plans, extracurricular pursuits, the intangibles they hoped to gain and career possibilities. “The important thing is not the ticking off of the bucket list but the questions you are asking because of that bucket list,” Wathan said. “We want to hear ‘is there a contribution I can make through my career or ongoing charity work? What can I do?’ That is the world-changing bit.” The full value of time out may never be measured accurately yet it may pay dividends for a lifetime. The greatest proof on the worth of gap years may be gained by speaking to people who have taken one. Few have regrets. Virtually all would do it again. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/gap-year-travel/Gap-years-Should-I-take-a-ye ar-out/
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