On your gap year, you can 'teach in the sun and get paid for it' as a member of Neilson staff.

The company, which specialises in active holidays, has summer opportunities for people with and without relevant skills. Around 65 job roles include mountain biking guides, sailing instructors, windsurfing instructors, tennis coaches and childrens' club staff.

For some positions, Neilson will give the requisite training, Andrew Parry explained at the 2006 Gap Year Show in London. For others, a specific qualification is required.

You can train with Neilson over the winter for a guaranteed job in the summer, he said. The company has just launched a new training academy in Dahab, Egypt.