Gap Years - jobs, courses & volunteer placements
Travel the world, or push trolleys for a year?
If trolley-rolling is your idea of a great year out, push off. But if you’re interested in discovering how to cook guinea pig, what Chinese schools smell like, and how to hone your people-skills, we can help you. The infamous Gap Year has become a British institution. Every year more than 100,000 of us take a 12-month break from A-levels, University, or the office job. Whatever you’re escaping from, don’t simply book a ticket – plan it well, and your Gap Year could be truly incredible.
Here’s the thing: badly planned, your Gap Year could turn into a budget-draining nightmare. But do a bit of prep work, and it could be really rewarding. That’s where Season Workers and our partner site igapyear.com comes in. Both are a completely free resource featuring information on destinations and itineraries, as well as a searchable database of paid and voluntary opportunities. Before you head off on the first trip that catches your eye, remember what we said about planning. First questions to ask yourself are:
Perhaps your feet are itching, and you want to get out fast. But where? For obvious reasons, Australia and New Zealand are the most popular choices among British gappers. Asia is an extremely popular destination too – it’s full of opportunities and stir-fries. Do you fancy somewhere more unusual for your Gap Year? Browse our job board to find placements in Cuba, Costa Rica and Argentina – all offering a completely unique experience. And, for those with the emotional and physical muscle, Africa is a gritty, rewarding place to spend your Gap Year. Notoriously tough working conditions and potential risks make life harder – but maybe you like it that way.
- English Teachers
TEFL is the acronym for Teaching English as a Foreign Language – and code word to access some of the world’s most rural and fascinating areas. You’ll have to qualify before you get any cash though. You can do this before you leave, or you can train on-site: how does the Phuket TEFL school sound? Read about TEFL courses here and TEFL jobs here.
- Kids’ Camp Counsellors
They’re called Counsellors in the US but there’s no psychology involved. Kids’ camp workers supervise outdoor activities at summer camps in America and Europe. You could also teach basketball in Ghana or cricket in South Africa – browse sport opportunities here.
- Conservation Workers
Opportunities bound for conservation enthusiasts. You can care for injured animals in Argentina, work with baby orangutans in Borneo, observe the humpback in Brazil, or help protect giant turtles in Asia. Conservation opportunities here.
What are you waiting for?
We hear they’re looking for trolley-pushers just down the road. Want life to work harder for you? There’s a world out there – find your perfect Gap Year opportunity now.
Africa special
Africa is the world's second-largest continent, after Asia. It is also the Worlds poorest
continent according to the United Nations' Human Development Report. The report also stated that the
poorest 25 nations in the world were all African. The real reasons for this are a
matter of wide ranging debate featuring factors such as global trade, attitudes to debt, corruption
and insufficient aid. Western governments could go a long way towards ending poverty in Africa by doing more, and many have demonstrated and supported organizations such as Make
Poverty History to demand that exactly that happens. Africa offers thousands of opportunities for gappers to make a small difference and to have a life-changing experience. With more than 840,000,000 people and over 50 independent countries, Africa also offers massive diversity. All this helps make it the most popular destination for
gap-year students from the UK.
Opportunities in Africa