A year out between school or college and work or higher education can be very worthwhile and enjoyable.

• Plan to get the most out of a gap year - don’t just drift through it
• Do you want to work and earn money for university?
• Do you want to travel?
• Do you want to learn something new; improve your languages, or your ICT skills?
• Do you want to volunteer with a charity, at home or overseas?

There is lots of help available. Check out the resources in your local Connexions centre or public library. You could also have a look at these weblinks:

http://www.gapyear.com - contains lots of useful information to plan your gap year.
http://www.yini.org.uk – a Year in Industry provides talented young people with paid, degree relevant work placements in the year out before or during their university course.

For more information, have a look at our "How to plan a gap year" leaflet or our Volunteering section.