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Volcano causes travel chaos

15th April 2010
A volcanic eruption in Iceland has caused the complete closure of UK air space as well as a number of other northern European countries, as it drifts south. The knock on effect has been felt worldwide, with London a major hub for international air travel. Extra staff have been called in to handle the back log of passengers stranded in airports. Hotels in London have been fully booked for days, and other transport methods such as Eurostar and the ferry operators have also had to bring in extra workers.

£1m cycle centre in North Wales

10th April 2010
Thanks to funding from the Welsh Assembly, a new purpose built off-road cycle track is about to be built in Rhyl. Designed to boost low cost activity options for local youngsters, it will also create local jobs and help regenerate the community.

Think Pacific Expedition

19th March 2009
Take a look at the latest advertiser on our BestGapYear.co.uk website. Think Pacific are offering a fantastic Pacific Expedition that has all of us in the office wishing we could sign up. As well as assisting with much needed community development projects, you will get to trek extinct volcanoes, raft river canyons and charter a tall ship through the outer islands of Fiji. What an experience! Keep an eye on the site as we offer new opportunities all the time.

Winter Olympics, Vancouver

16th February 2010
Can you believe the Winter Olympic Games have come around again already! The BBC coverage of the world cup ski season is melting away faster than the ice at the north and south poles but for those of us who don't mind staying up until the early hours, there is currently an avalanche of televisual winter sports to feast upon. The other night I watched men's luge, followed by moguls (what's that all about!!?), followed by a convincing display by the US and Canadian ice hockey teams and finally the pairs figure skating. And the best part, while most people would be nodding off by 3.30am, I had a two week old daughter screaming in my ear to keep me from missing any of the action.

Acorn Adventure are recruiting

14th January 2010 by Mike
Great news, we have a range of new 2010 positions available at Acorn Adventure centres in UK, France and Italy: Kitchen Assistants, French and Italian Speaking Administrators, Catering Managers, Senior Activity Instructors and Activity Managers. Click here for their full range of activity jobs.

Brighter outlook for travel recruitment in 2010

11th January 2010 by Julian
Travel websites are reporting expectations of much improved booking and passenger numbers for 2010 holidays, fuelled by the main Tour Operators all discounting their holiday offerings. This is likely to be good news for employment market as increases in capacity necessitate more staff, both in resort and in UK booking offices. We don't anticipate a big recruitment rush, but hope for a steady increase, as operators and travel companies find the big jobs cuts they made in the past eighteen months are unsustainable.

Gap Year Skills

16th December 2009 by Julian
The debate over the value of gap years is often in the news. Employers often arguing the benefits, the average tax payer accusing the average gap year student of being work-shy. The truth is, gap years can be extremely beneficial, to both employers and your own employment prospects. Whiling away a year sitting on a beach in Goa probably isn't going to help anyone, but taking an unpaid or low paid break to learn some extra skills is well worthwhile. It could be a wise move to alter degree courses to include a gap year. Again, not as an excuse to party for a year, but as a means of gaining a year's solid experience in industry. Anyone who has left university and struggled to gain employment will likely agree.

Live the dream

14th October 2009 by Simon
Did you see that travel job advert a few months ago where the salary was about the same as a bankers, but the work involved sitting on a Pacific Island counting fish, or something. Well someone else wants in on the idea and is now advertising something similar, only instead of beaches and water, the lucky winner of this role will be able to muck about in the snow at Aspen for a year. The competition doesn't launch until 1st January 2010 but we'll let you know once we know more.

Ski flights with easyJet

5th October 2009 by Simon
easyJet are making it easier for you to book flights to the mountains this year with their new ski flights microsite: ski.easyjet.com. They claim their routes give you access to 220 ski resorts in Andorra, Austria, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Norway, Slovenia and Switzerland.

New fee from BA

25th September 2009 by Jayne
British Airways have announced a new option for travellers, due to come into effect on 7th October 2009 for passengers wishing to book specific seats ahead of checkin. At the moment you can book your seat 24 hours before departure, the new scheme would extend this range to 10 days, but impose a new charge for the privilege which ranges from £10 to £60 depending on the class and range of travel.

Top 10 Gap Year Destinations

8th September 2009 by Julian
1/ Trekking in Latin America
Swim in mountain streams and walk along ancient trails

2/ Patagonia Wildlife Research Expedition
Ice climbing, ecosystem managment and camping

3/ Teach English in China
Immerse yourself in Chinese language and culture

4/ Grape Harvest in Beaujolais
Vineyards and picturesque villages

5/ Japanese Ski, Beach or Golf Resort
Learn Japanese while getting paid

6/ Snowboard Instructor Course New Zealand
Train in the pristine powder of South Island

7/ Big Game Reserve South Africa
Monitor 24,000 hectares of bushland

8/ Extreme Arctic Adventure Svalbard
Winter mountaineering and climate change investigation

9/ Oasis Caravan through the Middle East
58 day overland adventure through Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia

10/ Scuba Diving in Borneo
Experience conservation, community, jungle and tropical islands

Avoiding the competitive jobs market

28th August 2009 by Julian
Gap Year organisations and providers are reporting record numbers of students are preparing to take a gap year in the coming months thanks largely to an uncertain jobs market. While shelter from unemployment among the majority of newly A level qualified students is a university degree course, unprecedented numbers are planning to travel abroad in the hope that there will be a better chance of finding a job upon their return. The experience they will get while volunteering or working during a gap year will certainly be valuable for their CV.

We have also seen a significant increase during the last few months in the number of people visiting BestGapYear.co.uk which is great news for gap year providers both here and abroad.

Ski Fashion

18th August 2009 by Simon
Wondering what to be seen wearing on the slopes this year? Does it really matter as long as you are warm and protected from the elements? Well apparently it does. Like when that kid in your class at school had the unusual games kit that made him instantly ‘un-cool’. I asked a retailer of ski gear whether they were seeing any particular styles in this season’s new clothing. Checkered patterns, and fur were two of the main things mentioned. With this in mind, if you are a girl you might like these amazing fur gloves. And if you aren’t a girl, take a look at this, ‘I’m not going to get lost on the slopes’, ski jacket from rip curl.

It's that time of year again

15th August 2009 by Simon
It's that time of the year again. We are starting to gear up for the Metro Ski and Board Show at the end of October. Working on designs for the stand and getting information from all our advertisers so that we can give you the most up to date information at the show.

Last year’s show, while tiring, was great fun. We met so many nice people from ski and winter sports companies and many of you who were there to inquire about working in a ski resort. Talking to employers every day gives us a great insight and meant we were able to give people useful advice while we were at the show. I had a couple of people I spoke to at the show email me to let me know they had got the job I had told them about. That is such a great feeling. And just a few days ago I spoke to Jane at Ski Chardon Bleu who thanked us for the great response she received after advertising on Best Ski Jobs and for finding her such a good ski host for her chalet. She has even kept the person on for a second season.

If you’d like us to help you find employment this year, come along to the show and say hello. Best Ski Jobs will be on stand G36, Gallery Level.

Save a little extra for your flight this winter!

5th August 2009 by Simon
British Airways have announced changes to their baggage policy, which will affect people travelling with sporting equipment, especially skis and snowboards, for the coming winter season. The new policy means passengers travelling after 7th October 2009 will have to pay extra to take ski and snowboard equipment on a British Airways flight. Previously passengers were allowed to take either a pair of skis or a snowboard for free.

The additional charges are £28 for people booking online, or £35 for people paying at the airport. And if you are heading to the slopes further afield, long-haul charges are £32 online or £40 at the airport. I have seen various dates mentioned such as bookings made after August 1st, and every passenger travelling after 7th October. If you are already booked to fly to the slopes with British Airways, I'd advise you to contact your travel agent, or British Airways, to check whether you need to pay extra. The last thing you want to do is start your holiday by having to hand over a fist full of cash at check-in.

New funding for Gap Years

3rd August 2009 by Julian
Great news for some of you who are thinking about taking a Gap Year. The government have announced plans to pay graduates who are finding it difficult to find employment to go on a Gap Year. With a struggling job market, now is currently an excellent time to take a Gap Year, rather than sitting on the dole or taking a lower paid job than you are qualified for, why not get out and see a bit of the world, gain valuable skills and life experience. If I was just coming out of university again, I would jump at the opportunity to let the government help me subsidise my work abroad!

Get yourself over to Raleigh International's Graduate Bursary Award scheme to see if you qualify.

The expeditions on offer all last for ten weeks, you'd been working as a volunteer (so don't expect a salary!) and include Borneo, Costa Rica, Nicaragua or India.

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