GROWN UP GAPPERS ON THE INCREASE

Capitalising on the rise in demand for gap year programmes from older clients – usually incorporating travel with special-interest volunteering projects – a new company called Gaps for Grumpies has launched in the UK. The company is hoping its catchy name will attract the attention of the growing 40-plus market, populated by clients looking for an adventure later in life, a career break or the chance to make up for missed opportunities earlier on.

Gaps for Grumpies currently offers packages in Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Peru and Fiji, teaming community development projects with the chance for a longer holiday in that country. Candidates may find themselves teaching English to students in the morning and helping to build the local school in the afternoon.

“[Our programmes] provide a chance for someone who has worked very hard for many years to recharge their batteries, or if they have recently retired or been made redundant, to do something completely different,” said Mike Parker, Director of the company.

Another UK company active in the sector, Gap Year for Grown Ups, has revealed that it is women of a certain age who are far more likely to undertake such a project.

Last year, 83 per cent of bookings were from women travellers, mostly travelling alone. Almost half of these bookings were made by women aged between 30 and 40 years and the other main group was between 41 and 60 years.

Reasons given for grown ups taking a gap year included a career break, early retirement, divorce and life change.

WORK PERMIT ACCESS IN UK IS RESTRICTED

The work routes into the UK known as the Sector Based Scheme (SBS) and Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (Saws) are being phased out, as the UK considers there to be enough potential low-level temporary workers coming into the country from the enlarged European Union, particularly Bulgaria and Romania.

SBS ended on December 31 for all nationals, except those from Bulgaria and Romania, who can apply to enter the UK for the SBS food manufaturing programme. Meanwhile, Saws will exclusively recruit Bulgarians and Romanians from January 2008.

In Australia, the government has announced that Work and Holiday programme places for Thais have been filled until further notice. Figures released for 2005/2006 for Working Holiday visa issuance (similar to Work and Holiday visas for Thais, Chileans and Iranians) reveal that Koreans were the second most likely nationality to take up a Working Holiday visa, after Britons.

InterExchange Career Training USA, a division of work placement company InterExchange, has launched a hotel internship and restaurant training programme that provides experience in a wide range of positions in this service industry.

By rotating through various departments, candidates get to work in hotel and resort management, food and beverage management, accounting and finance, human resources, front desk operations, the IT department and marketing and sales. The programme launched late last year and feedback so far has been extremely positive from both interns and employers, according to Programme Manager, Anneka Street.

She told Work Wise that since the launch, more internship options have been developed, including those in business management, IT, marketing, engineering and media. Previously, InterExchange has organised work exchange and helped clients who found their own internship.

Real Gap launches sports division
Real Gap Experience in the UK has launched a new sister company called Real Sports Experience (RSE). Rachael Wood at RSE explained that the aim of the company was to provide opportunities for people to incorporate their passion and interest for sport into a gap year experience. “Volunteers can choose between sports volunteer programmes, sports training abroad and sports adventure expeditions,” she said. “We are giving a whole new range of choice to those looking to do something different.”

Twin Group expands into Ireland
Internship provider Twin Group in the UK has expanded into Ireland, offering unpaid internships in areas such as marketing, tourism, IT and finance. Internships are available for European Union students only.