Employers acknowledge 'rising number of career gap years'

Many companies are aware that an increasing number of people are taking time out of their career to travel the world, one expert has observed.

According to a research adviser with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Vanessa Robinson, employers are beginning to embrace the idea of career gap years.

'More and more employers are recognising that individuals are wanting to take gap years at different stages - before university, after university or at later stage,' she stated.

In fact, figures from the Year Out Group revealed that in 2007, 3,000 people over the age of 40 took a gap year.

If firms want to attract 'graduates of the highest calibre' they should expect that they may want to take a year out later in their professional career, Ms Robinson said.

Gap-year experiences can boost an individual's employability, she added.