Using a gap year to travel the world or learn new skills before heading to university is increasingly attractive to many school-leavers.

Around 50,000 young people a year are thought to take gap years, and those who choose to do so have a number of options.

One of the most popular, of course, is still the traditional backpacking trip across Australia and south-east Asia.

Tom Griffiths, founder of the web site gapyear.com, says: "The majority do go round the world travelling they'll work somewhere like McDonald's for a few months after finishing school to help finance the trip, and then work when they get back to earn money for university."

Those who want to do more than just travel can try voluntary work as well, but Griffiths warns: "It's not as popular as it's perceived to be there aren't a lot of placements."

Many young people have no idea what career path they want to follow, and one way of using a gap year constructively is to do paid work experience an option that's even more relevant with the advent of university tuition fees.

One popular scheme is through the Year In Industry (www.yini.org.uk), although there is strong competition for places. If accepted, a student can earn £8,000-£12,000 in the year, and possibly secure university sponsorship, subsequent holiday work, and graduate employment.

Or use a gap year constructively through training some people qualify to teach skiing or diving, for example. Opting for such training or working means teenagers are gaining more skills, which is an attraction for universities and future employers and a plus for concerned parents.

Griffiths emphasises: "Parents should encourage children taking a gap year to use their time constructively."

But that's not to say that if a young person simply uses a gap year for travelling, it will harm future employment prospects. In fact, a spokesman for the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) says: "I doubt many employers would hold it against someone if they spent a year on a beach.

"Employers are always looking for experience, and it's very rare to get kids of this age with any, so it's going to count for you if you get some in your gap year.

"The bottom line is, what a young person does in a gap year could help their employment prospects, but if they don't use the time constructively it's not likely to hinder them either."

And Griffiths lays parents' concerns about their child's safety while travelling to rest, pointing out they're actually statistically safer than if they stayed at home.

"Backpackers tend not to take risks, and it's very rare for something bad to happen to them although when it does, it hits the headlines.

"The best thing to do is plan a gap year as well as you can, and be positive about it don't rush into anything."