The Rise of the Micro-Gap Year
by James P. Outreach & PR ExecutiveThere is much uncertainty in the world of work and
education. Many students who are presented with the opportunity of a gap year
are feeling dejected by their limited options to create new experiences, take a
break, and remotivate their ambitions.
While 2020 has felt like the longest year, travel
restrictions and domestic guidelines have further limited how young people can
approach a gap year. For some, breaking for a whole year is just
unviable―education and work cannot always be put on hold.
Instead, taking a shorter break is becoming a more popular
option. We have seen the rise of the micro-gap year, a shorter break where
students can still experience the thrills and experiences of a normal year-long
break condensed into a few months.
Here, we look at why students are taking shorter gap years
and what experiences are waiting for those who do.
The best opportunity
For students who received their A-level results in August
2020, the following year may be the best opportunity to take a micro-gap year.
After the government overturned UK results to match that of students’ teacher-predicted
grades, this year saw the highest
level of marks achieved on record. For instance, the number of A grades
increased from 20.1 in 2019 to 27.1 in 2020. Subsequently, more students have
achieved their grade requirements for university, and a record number of
students have chosen the option of higher education.
However, with universities at capacity, especially given the
need to social distance when face-to-face tuition commences, some students are
being presented with a unique and intriguing opportunity: defer your entry and
receive a grant.
Durham University announced that if students chose to defer
to 2021 entry, they would receive a bursary and
guaranteed accommodation when they eventually attend university. Some
universities have been offering up to £4,000 for delayed entry.
In this instance, the financial incentive may appeal to
students to defer, but some may feel that a few thousand is not enough to
sustain themselves for a year. In this case, students are more likely to work
for part of the year, but still have access to new opportunities for some.
While the coronavirus pandemic has thrown a spanner in the
works for a lot of people’s plans, it stresses the importance of taking every
opportunity you are presented with. For others who are further into university
or are seeking out work, using this time when people are less inclined to take
new opportunities is the reason to do it. Micro-gap years can still help you
develop all of your social and employable skills, just like a full gap year.
Developing your skills
People go on gap years for several reasons, from wanting to
experience something different, to developing the employable skills. In an open
survey by SIA Austria, asked why they took a gap year, one respondent stated:
"It gave me the chance to take time out and work in a social environment.”
Another gap-year attendee emphasised how they broke up their
gap year with employment, getting the best of both worlds! They responded: “I
travelled for four months and then came home and worked in my local pub for six
months.”
Breaking up your gap year by training in something you have
a passion for is the key to micro-gap years. Employment is often used to
complement other opportunities to make them more financially viable.
One opportunity allows people to learn how to become a ski
instructor over 22 weeks. The five-to-six-month long course does not take
up the entirety of a year, leaving other employment options open to students
for the rest of their gap year.
While being a unique and enjoyable experience, it's
important to understand how each activity can give you real-life employable
skills. Training courses like these allow you to develop leadership, teamwork,
social, and safety skills that can be used in any interview process or future
job.
Giving back to the community
For those less adventurous, a micro-gap year is a perfect
opportunity to give back to the community. Volunteer activities are becoming
increasingly essential due to the difficulties that coronavirus restrictions
have presented, particularly to vulnerable individuals.
According to UK Fundraising, one
in five adults have volunteered during the lockdown, with 78 per cent of
those intending to continue their charitable work after restrictions are eased.
People who were furloughed were more likely to volunteer than people who
weren’t, proving that work or education may prevent people from volunteering. Of
course, there is still a demand for virtuous people to join worthy causes
across the country.
One opportunity includes the NHS Volunteer Responders, who
are supporting the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic. There are 1.5 million people in England alone
who are at risk to the virus―this volunteering exercise allows you to help
those closest to you. Tasks may include grocery shopping or picking up
prescription medicine.
Volunteering on a micro-gap year means that people can make
a positive contribution to society, while also opening themselves up to other
employment opportunities. A gap year does not have to be a binary choice. You
may opt to do part-time work or education to around your micro-gap year
opportunities.
Micro-gap years may be limited in time, but they are not
limited in the number of available opportunities, even during a pandemic. Gap
years are intended to develop a series of skills, whether personal or
employable, and a micro-gap year gives you the chance to harbour these skills
while using some other time for education or work to make the break more
viable. Whether you choose to go abroad or stay home during your micro-gap
year, it’s unlikely that you’ll regret it either way!
Sources
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-53840379
https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/06/04/1-in-5-uk-adults-have-volunteered-during-lockdown/
https://www.goodsamapp.org/NHS
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Created on Nov 26th 2020 09:44. Viewed 237 times.