Author: Oli de Botton, CEO of The Careers & Enterprise Company
Key Takeaways:
- Updated Gatsby Benchmarks: The integration of the updated benchmarks of good careers guidance into schools and colleges is designed to make high-quality careers provision a reality for all young people.
- Employer Engagement: Businesses are encouraged to offer diverse and accessible encounters and experiences, such as skills workshops and workplace experiences, to provide students with real-world insights. The evidence shows that these make a difference to young people.
- Best Practices: Collaborations between schools, colleges and employers, such as NHS England, Pinewood Studios and AtkinsRéalis, have successfully connected young people with industry opportunities.
The Gatsby Benchmarks
In 2014, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation introduced the Gatsby Benchmarks for Good Career Guidance, setting a standard for schools and colleges to deliver quality careers education. The 8 Gatsby Benchmarks define what world-class looks like and are enshrined in the statutory guidance for schools and colleges. Careers Leaders are responsible for the implementation of the benchmarks in their institution, and we at the Careers & Enterprise Company, as the national body for careers education, provide guidance, resources, training and networks – including 44 Careers Hubs across the country – to support success for every young person.
Ten years on, the Gatsby Benchmarks have been implemented in over 4,700 schools and colleges across England with strong progress. We can also see that the more Gatsby Benchmarks a school meets, the less likely young people are to be NEET and the more likely they are to take up an apprenticeship. In schools with the very best provision, young people are more career-ready, and gaps between more advantaged and less advantaged students, and boys and girls, are closed.
A lot has changed in the past decade: technological advances, changes in education and major shifts in the labour market. Following two years of research and consultation, the Gatsby Benchmarks have been updated to future-proof them so they continue to be the standard for world-class career guidance for young people. For employers, these updates are particularly significant as they highlight the crucial role businesses play in shaping the futures of young people.
How are the Gatsby Benchmarks being updated?
The updated Gatsby Benchmarks maintain their original eight-point framework. The updates centre around five key themes for educators:
- Careers at the heart of education and leadership: Emphasising that career guidance should be a central component of educational institutions, involving all staff members in its delivery.
- Inclusion and impact for every young person: Ensuring that career programmes are tailored to meet the diverse needs of all students, providing equitable opportunities regardless of background.
- Meaningful and varied encounters and experiences: Encouraging flexible and impactful interactions between students and the world of work, broadening their understanding of potential career paths.
- Focusing on the use of information and data: Promoting the use of data to inform and improve career guidance practices, ensuring they are responsive to current labour market trends.
- Engagement of parents and carers: Recognising the influential role of families in career decision-making and encouraging their active involvement in the guidance process.
The implications of these changes
These updates aim to provide more personalised and comprehensive career guidance for young people, enhancing their readiness for the workforce.
Employers, in particular, are called upon to examine how they work with schools and colleges again. By offering meaningful encounters, such as industry talks, site visits, and longer work experiences, businesses can play a pivotal role in preparing the next generation for their working lives. Our evidence suggests that this collaboration not only benefits students but also helps employers cultivate a skilled and diverse talent pipeline, which reduces the cost of recruitment.
One of the most important updates for employers is the expansion of what defines a ‘meaningful’ employer encounter or experience under Benchmarks 5 and 6. Updated definitions state that there should be a clear purpose for each encounter shared with both young people and the employer; appropriate learning outcomes should underpin them and involve extensive two-way interaction between young people and employees. Importantly, virtual encounters and experiences should complement, but never fully replace, in-person experiences. The Careers Leader in each school or college should be the first port of call for designing appropriate and impactful encounters for young people and employers.
This approach aligns with the Government’s commitment to two weeks’ worth of high-quality work experience for every young person, building up from Key Stage 3 and involving a number of touchpoints with employers.
How employers can support meaningful encounters
To create impactful engagements with young people, employers can consider the following approaches:
- Workshops and skills sessions: Host sessions that develop career readiness, explore roles and responsibilities and help young people understand growth sectors and the changing economy.
- Workplace experiences: Allowing students to apply skills and knowledge in the workplace environment can demystify various professions and result in students showing increased interest in the industry. Students will also learn about the skills that employers need and post-16 pathways to achieve certain jobs.
- Inspirational outreach: Provide inspiration through accessible role models to develop opportunity awareness and self-awareness.
- Inclusive recruitment initiatives: Support young people in understanding how the application process works and how to navigate it e.g. offering CV guidance and preparing for interview support. This is particularly important given that our data suggests students want more support with the application process.
Examples of effective and inclusive employer engagement
Several organisations have pioneered initiatives that bridge the gap between education and employment:
- At Pinewood Studios, Year 7 students learnt about statistical analysis by looking at how production companies commission a new series of a TV programme, interpreting social media data, audience analysis and viewing figures. For Year 8 students, lessons cover ratio and proportion, and students learn about how production designers, art directors and prop makers make the magical worlds of their favourite movies come to life.
- In Liverpool, several prominent city region employers – including Jaguar Land Rover, NHS England, AtkinsRéalis and Unilever – are testing a new approach to modern work experience. The approach involves multiple experiences totalling 10 days with flexibilities for all types of businesses to get involved. This reflects Gatsby’s updates, which emphasise the value of multiple, progressive and sequenced encounters and experiences for young people moving through education.
The updated Gatsby Benchmarks underscore employers’ vital role in delivering effective career guidance and explain in more detail what all parties should aim for. By actively engaging with educational institutions and offering inclusive, meaningful encounters and experiences, businesses can significantly impact young people’s career readiness. Such collaborations not only prepare students for future employment but also help organisations cultivate a diverse and skilled workforce, driving economic growth and innovation.
