The Updated Gatsby Benchmarks are a Golden Opportunity

The updated Gatsby Benchmarks of good career guidance, recalibrated in Statutory Guidance this month, offer a unique moment to reflect on England’s careers education system, now and next.

It prompts me to look back on my career education journey informed by part time jobs and work experiences that gave me opportunity to learn from someone other than my teachers. Taken under the wing of a bricklayer who taught me practical skills and precision. A stint in an office supply company teaching me about the organisational discipline of running a small business. Time spent with Sir Clive Booth, the then Vice Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University, honing invaluable skills around analytical thinking and communication.

The Transformational Effect of the Gatsby Benchmarks

Working life, of course, has changed since my transition from education into employment in the 1990s. But the journey that England is taking in preparing young people for their futures, is analogous. Key today, as it was for me back then, is opportunity for interactive, experiential learning that enables real life opportunity to see what it takes to be successful in the workplace.

Over the past decade, the Gatsby Benchmarks have set the gold standard for quality careers education and have been foundational to the systemic improvement in the way young people receive careers support. Since adoption in Statutory Guidance, we have seen year-on-year progress against the Benchmarks including accelerated improvement in areas of the country in highest need. Young people are more career ready including increased awareness of apprenticeship and technical pathways. Higher benchmark achievement is also linked to fewer young people becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training).

The Benchmarks have catalysed high levels of engagement on a national scale: over 92% of schools and colleges report their assessments. More employers than ever are now involved with young people. The Benchmarks have also produced powerful cross-political consensus and local leadership buy-in, as testament to their enduring impact. 

Raising the Bar Higher

With progress comes more to do. Elevation will happen through the updated Benchmarks in updated Statutory Guidance, for education providers, on how they should support the career development of their students.  

The updated Benchmarks focus on continuous improvement to ensure the structure of careers best practice is maintained and can adapt to the next 10 years of economic and workforce change. They also usher new prioritisation, to raise quality, strengthen leadership and to make provision more inclusive for all young people. 

Empower More Actors in the System

Elevating careers education means a whole institutional approach. More school and college leaders must actively set the tone. When senior leadership truly champion the value of high-quality provision, impact cascades – from the governing body to teachers and into every classroom. It transforms careers education from a standalone endeavour into a core part of culture and mission.

And then parents and carers. They are the most consistent influencers in a young person’s life. Our Careers Hubs work closely with schools to engage families – especially those who may not have had positive experiences of education or employment themselves.

Inclusion

A renewed focus on inclusion aims to realise a shift from, most to all – especially for young people facing the biggest barriers.  

We know gaps remain stubbornly embedded. Our data finds that Year 11 girls eligible for free school meals (FSM) are 15 percentage points less likely than non-FSM boys to feel confident articulating their strengths in interviews. In all of Years 7-11, FSM boys and girls are significantly less likely to feel work-ready. The updated Benchmarks redouble focus on addressing the individual needs of students, including much needed attention to those with special educational needs or those from disadvantage backgrounds.

Meaningful and Varied

The Benchmarks herald more reflective employer and workplace encounters that deepen learning and develop skills. We are embedding that practice, as government’s partner, and in its commitment of two weeks’ worth of high-quality modern work experience for every young person.

Our National Commitment

Data continues to drive our work to measure impact and target effort. By the autumn this year, over 300,000 young people across the country will have shared their interests and perceptions on their careers and skills development, triangulated with data on the quality of their careers education experience within schools and colleges.

I want to ensure that the multiple and diverse experiences afforded to me, become routinely available to all young people regardless of background. The updated Benchmarks reinforce our national commitment to making that happen.

By John Yarham, Interim CEO, The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC)