Universities looking for gap year travellers

Gap years abroad are becoming more popular as universities look for people that have travelled, according to an expert.

Marcus Watts, founder of Gapforce, said that skills and experiences which can be picked up from travelling abroad were becoming sought after by universities.

He added: "Twenty years ago, doing something in a local area would have been enough but now with world travel being much easier, universities are looking for people who have more depth of experience, along with more knowledge and awareness of world issues."

Mr Watts also commented that parents are pushing gappers to consider the safety risks that they might face meaning they are less likely to run into problems.

He said that parental involvement in the planning of a gap year can be a positive thing as they make sure that their sons or daughters are taking out travel insurance and researching the areas that they are visiting.

( Last Updated: 2009-10-01 18:48:19)