Gap years are a waste of time, claims advertising mogul Sir Martin Sorrell

Gap years are a waste of time, a leading British businessman has claimed.

Teenagers wishing to take a year out before starting university should instead spend it working or continuing their education, Sir Martin Sorrell said.

The 71-year-old boss of multi-national PR firm WPP told the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai that he believed gap years do not benefit career prospects, The Times reported.

"Gap years tend to be ill organised and ill directed and more a serendipity,” he said. “Companies don’t find them enough time [to do something useful].”

Sir Martin, who said he worked in a north-west London electronics shop on his year out, added: “The best thing you can do is go and study in a foreign land.

“I don’t speak languages, my wife speaks five. I don’t speak code. Code should be compulsory in schools.”