£10,000 to stay out of the office. Not so good for the next generation?

"Take a year off" law firms are telling graduates.

City law firms are offering graduate recruits up to £10,000 each to stay clear of the office for a year. The recent move has of course, been driven by the credit crunch, with many fearing that trainees will fail to gain the required experience during these tough times.

Norton Rose, has invited 55 recruits, with starting salaries of £35,700 to defer joining, at a likely cost of £200,000.

The question is, will a year provide sufficient breathing space for some kind of stabilisation, or are these law firms likely to be faced with a similar bill, if not higher, in a year's time?

Also, what is the likely response expected to be from the graduates? With the average figure coming out at £3,636 per individual, and an unclear future ahead, will we start to see grads taking a different approach and opt for employment elsewhere?