STEM gap-year numbers bounce back
23 Apr 2012
London – Companies are reporting a big increase in working gap-year applications from science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) students, reports the Year in Industry’ (YINI), which organises these placements. This, it said, marks a significant rebound from last year, when university fee hikes pegged back demand.
The paid gap year run by education charity EDT, is seeing increases of over 45% in applications from pre-university students, with a core recruitment period still ahead.
However, the YINI national director Chris Ward reports that the high cost of university degrees is still a major factor, prompting a more focused attitude from applicants.
There are three main motivators for our applicants this year, all of which reflect the tougher environment for students, according to Ward.
The first motivation, he said, is a recognition that a good degree is no longer enough and that work experience is crucial. Allied to this is an awareness that many top employers draw substantially from those students that they have seen already on work placements, internships and gap years.
Another driver is that students are keen to be able to win sponsorship for their degrees. Typically around a quarter of students completing gap years attract support for their degrees from the companies they have been working with.
As well as the salary that this gap year attracts, applicants are looking for this potential extra income from sponsorship or other support to help defray the cost of a degree.
The third motivation is that students want to be absolutely certain about the degree that they are applying for.
“Within broad subject areas there are a wide range of alternative degrees and students are making sure that they are matching their degree choice to the commercial realities they see on their working gap year,” said Ward.
Many students decide to apply for their degree during their gap year rather than secure a deferred entry earlier on. This ensures they have some commercial insights before they make their degree choice.”
There has been a step change in the approach that students are taking to university and their future careers,” concluded Ward. “They are taking a much more hard headed approach to maximising their career prospects and to ensuring they get maximum value out of their degrees.
“These changes have been driven by the cost of gaining a degree, a cost which they now seen as an investment on which there must be a good return.”
YINI provides paid placements for students in their gap year before or during their degree course. Placements are made in all areas of engineering, science, IT, e-commerce, business, marketing, finance and logistics with over 300 top UK companies every year including National Grid, Shell, Rolls Royce, British Energy, L’Oreal, Centrica and GKN.
