Gatsby Benchmarks
Sir John Holman, a former Principal and founder of the National STEM Learning Centre, was asked by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation to undertake an independent, international review of career guidance. He visited six countries, analysed good practice in English schools and did a comprehensive review of current literature. From this, Sir John wrote the Good Career Guidance Report. In the report he outlined a framework of eight benchmarks that schools should use to improve their career guidance system. These now form part of the government’s careers strategy, launched December 2017.
The Gatsby Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Description |
| 1. As table careers programme | Every school and college should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by students, parents, teachers and employers. |
| 2. Learning from labour market information | Every student, and their parents, should have access to good-quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed adviser to make best use of available information. |
| 3. Addressing the needs of each student | Students have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each pupil. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout. |
| 4. Linking curriculum learning to career | All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. For example, STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths. |
| 5. Encounters with employers and employees | Every student should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes. |
| 6. Experiences of workplaces | Every pupil should have first-hand experiences* of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks. |
| 7. Encounters with further and higher education | All students should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace. |
| 8. Personal guidance |
Every student should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a careers adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all pupils but should be timed to meet their individual needs.
Link: https://www.gatsby.org.uk/education/focus-areas/good-career-guidance |