MIND THE GAP

Taking a year out? mind the gap 🚂

Do you need another year before going to higher and further education? Maybe you just need another year to mature, you need to repeat one subject or you just aren’t sure what you want. Don’t let a gap year go to waste and use it as a chance for personal growth.

ISSU are here to provide you with some options on how to best use your year out and make it count!

For information on PLCs, training and further education, check out the rest of our ISSU Level Up! content.

European solidarity corps (ESC)

Interested in doing some jobs, volunteering roles, traineeships or solidarity projects in the European Union? Then the solidarity corps is for you! If you’re aged 18-30 you can do a long term activity (2-12 months) or a short term activity (0-2 months) Your opportunities will generally cover your travel and basic living expenses depending on the project you are looking at!

If you register for the ESC you can view opportunities and call outs in areas such

  • Physical education and sport

  • Working with refugees and migrants

  • Social challenges

  • Disaster prevention and recovery

    And many more …

  • Creativity and culture

  • Education and training

  • Employment and entrepreneurship

  • Environment and natural protection

  • Health and wellbeing

 

Getting a job

Thinking about get a job for the year? Whether it’s to save money or to get some real world experience make sure you seek a job where you will learn and earn!

Most jobs now require an application online through their website. The most common places for jobs to be advertised is on through platforms such as LinkedIn, Indeed.ie or Jobs.ie

You may find work in your local area by asking around or looking at local noticeboards in person or online.

As a young worker in Ireland, it is essential you know your rights in the workplace. Whether you need information around your pay, hours or holidays you can go to ISSU.ie/youngworker for information and support.

Joining a trade union is way to protect your rights in the workplace and to avoid exploitation. If you’re unsure what union to join you can check out ISSU.ie/youngworker or the Irish Congress of Trade Unions

If you feel a bit lost and unsure about your year out and want some advice, we advise dropping into your local youth service for impartial advice.

 

volunteering

A year out is a great chance to try something new and give back to the community! Volunteering can help you gain new skills, meet new people and to get to know yourself better. It can be your chance to find new passions or reignite old passions you may have dropped over your time in education.

There’s tonnes of opportunities out there, maybe you’re the next great GAA coach, a community radio presenter, a Scout Leader, environmental advocate have a look around. You can find opportunities in your area through Volunteer Ireland or i-VOL (the National Volunteering Database) as well in your local community.

You can find both long term volunteering opportunities or short term through these websites.

You can find international youth volunteering programmes or solidarity projects such as UN Youth Volunteers, Greenpeace volunteer programme and many more via the Eurodesk Opportunity Finder.

 

travel

Travelling can be a great way to use your time as a young person. Europe is on your doorstep and with the likes of the Wild Atlantic Way on our own island, there’s no real excuse not to!

Some popular options include

Some opportunities for travel may come from volunteering, from programmes such as European Solidarity Corps or J1 programmes. These opportunities generally require you are at least 18 years old. You can go on a J1 at the age of 18 but terms and conditions apply depending on the company you are applying through.

DiscoverEU: DiscoverEU is a programme which has provided over 200,000 free interrail passes for young people in the EU. Every since 2018, 18 year olds have had the chance to be selected for the free passes. Generally the EU Youth Portal opens for registration for two weeks in March but keep an eye for the dates for the 2024 group!

Living Abroad: If you plan on living abroad for part of your year out, ensure you do your research around work permit requirements, the laws in place and their housing circumstances. Speak to a trained youth worker before you make any major decisions.

support

If you’re feeling stressed or anxious about taking a year out, you can text ‘50808’ for support. You can find more helplines available via ISSU.ie/help

Spunout have an online chat service where you can talk to a trained Youth Information Officer and is available Monday-Friday, 4pm-8pm. You find it here.