How has COVID affected students' gap year plans?

Prospects Luminate surveyed students to find out whether they plan to take a gap year this academic year or the next - and how potential health risks and travels restrictions are influencing their decision-making

Gap years - simply defined as a period of time off from study or a career typically involving travel, volunteering, temporary work or educational activities - have been popular within the UK for quite some time now. The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) estimates that anywhere between 200,000 and 250,000 young people take a gap year each year.1

In August, Prospects Luminate surveyed 304 students and graduates aiming to find out more about the motivations of gap year takers as well as the ways that the pandemic has impacted their gap year. Nearly half of the respondents in our survey said that they do not plan to take a gap year, with the most common reason being a simple lack of interest in taking one (38%), followed by the cost (31%).

Additionally, a very small minority of respondents indicated that they have already taken their gap year, with most of them remaining within the UK to either work, study or volunteer. The top three reasons they gave for taking a gap year were:

• to take time out before their next step (i.e. starting university, work or an apprenticeship)
• to destress
• to learn new skills.

All suggested that they not only achieved what they set out to do, but also that they were pleased that they went ahead with their gap year despite the pandemic.

,Reason for not taking a gap year
Im finishing my course,48
Im delaying my gap year due to Covid,20
I want more time to save money,15
I want more time to plan my gap year,5
Im delaying my gap year due to Brexit-related issues,0

Of those who said that they are still planning to take a gap year, half (51%) said that they are doing so during this academic year. The other half (49%) indicated that they will be taking theirs in the following one (i.e. 2022/23). A fifth of this latter group said that this was due to the pandemic.

When asked how the pandemic has influenced this decision, 53% said that they were deterred due to the likelihood that travel restrictions will be in place. There was also a concern about the health risk of COVID-19, a concern which was also expressed by those who plan to take their gap year during the current academic year - two fifths of these said they are concerned that they may catch COVID while traveling.

Why do students take gap years?

Previous research suggests that the most common activities that students undertake while on a gap year are work, travel and volunteering, with many deciding to do so to either gain independence from their parents, take a break from study, earn money or gain work experience.2

Similarly, the majority of our respondents said that they plan to either work (87%), travel (47%) or volunteer (40%) during their gap year. And as the table above suggests, taking a break, gaining work experience and learning new skills were three of the top five reasons given for taking one.

However, when asked if they agree with the statement that they decided to take a gap year because they couldn't get a job or apprenticeship, just under a quarter (24%) said that they either agree (14%) or strongly agree (10%). Likewise, just over a fifth (22%) said that they plan to take a gap year because of a lack of work experience opportunities, while one in ten indicated that they are taking one because they didn't get into their preferred university.

Many still interested in travelling despite pandemic

Interestingly, despite the pandemic, a large proportion of respondents still plan to travel during their gap year. While 82% indicated that their gap year activities will take place within the UK, respondents also suggested that their activities will also take place in Europe (27%), the Americas (16%), Asia (14%), Australia (7%) and Africa (3%).3

However, as the pandemic has restricted travel in many countries, virtual gap years - which can consist of a range of activities from virtual internships and volunteering to teaching abroad and language skills - are becoming an increasingly popular alternative.4 Therefore, it comes as no surprise that a quarter (26%) of those surveyed by Prospects said that some of their gap year experience will be virtual, as 61% of respondents expressed concern about travel restrictions.5

Respondents were also concerned that they won't be able to make connections while abroad on their gap year, with half expressing concern about being able to meet people due to COVID-19. Mental wellbeing was also cited as a cause for concern while travelling.

Notes:

1. Gap Year Statistics UK 2020, Teaching Abroad, 2020.
2. Ibid.
3. 43% said that their gap year will last for six months to a year, 14% said that theirs will last for one to six months, and 17% said it will last for more than one year.
4. Gap year ideas, Prospects, 2020.
5. 3% said that their whole experience will be virtual.

Written by

Micha-Shannon Smith

Assistant information analyst

Prospects