Good career guidance: The next ten years
Since the Gatsby Benchmarks were launched a decade ago, careers guidance has improved for millions of young people thanks to the efforts and expertise of schools, colleges and independent training providers (ITPs) across the country.
Evidence shows the benchmarks have had a hugely positive impact on the lives of young people across England.
Recent analysis shows students in institutions achieving all eight benchmarks are 8% less likely to be categorised as NEET (not in education, employment or training) compared to peers in schools with either low or no Gatsby Benchmark activity. The research suggests that this relationship is strongest for those institutions with the most disadvantaged young people, with as much as a 20% reduction in NEET rates.
Schools, colleges and ITPs have consistently fed back how useful the Benchmarks are as a framework for delivering world-class careers guidance.
A lot has changed in the past ten years, with a vast technological revolution, incredible innovation in schools and colleges, seismic shifts in the labour market and new jobs and career pathways that didn’t exist ten years ago.
So now, following almost two years of extensive research and stakeholder engagement, the Gatsby Benchmarks have been updated, to achieve even more impact for young people for the next decade.
Here is a reminder of the eight Gatsby Benchmarks:
- A stable careers programme
- Learning from career and labour market information
- Addressing the needs of each young person
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experiences of workplaces
- Encounters with further and higher education
- Personal guidance
The core of the eight Gatsby Benchmarks remains the same but the changes that have been made are really important. Many of the updates fall under one or more of five key themes:
- Careers at the heart of education and leadership
- Inclusion and impact for each and every young person
- Meaningful and varied encounters and experiences
- Focusing on the use of information and data
- Engagement of parents and carers
The updated benchmarks, along with details on what updates have been made and why and examples of impressive practice are presented in the Good Career Guidance: The Next Ten Years report on the Gatsby Benchmarks website.
