Tom also mentioned a gap year would have been too expensive – but according to Chris Rea from the organisation Prospects, it needn’t cost a lot of money. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours programme, he says it’s about gaining skills and being more employable…Chris Rea, Higher Education Services Manager, ProspectsI think the experience of the gap year has become actually much more practical, partly as I say to do with university participation increasing, but also because of the demands on developing skills, specifically employability skills. Actually from an employer’s point of view, certainly, any form of experience and skills acquisition that you've undertaken is valuable.NeilAccording to Chris Rea, the focus these days is for a gap year to be more practical – this adjective describes the learning of real skills which can be usefully applied.GeorginaYes, and these are skills that help you compete for a place at university and ultimately make you more employable - they help you get a job.