“Every gap year student should have some skills training to help them travel in a more sensible and informed way. There are very few things in life that we expect to go off and do with no training, so why do we assume that travelling in the developing world can be achieved without preparation?”

Charlotte Hindle – author of Lonely Planet’s ‘Gap Year Guide’

Wednesday 4 August 2004

Mind the gap (year)


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Title – Mind the gap (year)
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 3rd August 2004

Gap Years and Independent Travel are now accepted by many employers as positive experience for potential employees. Many individuals have found themselves in the scenario that at interview they are asked more about their Gap Year then their education. There are others that argue against this view and there are those that think what you actually do on your Gap Year, is most important.

But very few set off on a Gap Year believing that it is a positive career move. Most see it as a life experience that simply can’t be missed. With 50,000 pre university students alone taking Gap Years each year and the increasing number of older individuals taking career breaks, it is inevitable that the regularity of serious incidents being reported can seem to make the rest of the world look like a dangerous place and much of it is.

But surprisingly the news channels that seem to prove a world full of danger is out there, tend not to cover the vast majority of countries that are safe enough to travel in, if you make the appropriate preparations.

It’s not all violence and aggression, although it is not a subject that can be ignored. Many of the problems people encounter are due to medical needs and not understanding the cultural differences in countries they visit.
Beyond The Blue is a training company offering Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshops that teach candidates personal safety skills and provide all the information they will need in planning their adventures. We can help you travel more safely and plan your trip comprehensively in advance to help avoid all the pitfalls that are out there waiting to catch out the unprepared.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.