Good Career Guidance: The Next 10 YearsRead the updated Gatsby Benchmarks in our latest report
Updating the Gatsby Benchmarks for 2024 and beyond
Ten years on from when they were first published, the Gatsby Benchmarks for good careers guidance are being implemented in over 4,700 schools and colleges across England.
A lot has changed in the past decade: technological advances, innovation in education and major shifts in the labour market.
Now, the Gatsby Benchmarks have been updated to ensure the framework is fit for the future. The updates have been after two years of research and consultation.
What are the Gatsby Benchmarks?
The eight benchmarks were first developed in 2014 to define world-class careers education, information, advice and guidance for young people in England, based on international evidence. Initially designed for secondary schools, their use has expanded to over 4,700 secondary schools, colleges and independent training providers.
The Gatsby Benchmarks have been adopted in government statutory guidance for secondary schools and guidance for colleges since 2018. Since then, national performance against the eight benchmarks has more than tripled.
The eight benchmarks (as published in 2014)
Benchmark 1
A stable careers programme
1Benchmark 2
Learning from career and labour market information
2Benchmark 3
Addressing the needs of each pupil
3Benchmark 4
Linking curriculum learning to careers
4Benchmark 5
Encounters with employers and employees
5Benchmark 6
Experiences of workplaces
6Benchmark 7
Encounters with further and higher education
7Benchmark 8
Personal guidance
8Explore the impact of the benchmarks
To mark the tenth anniversary of the Gatsby Benchmarks, we visited education leaders and careers leaders in schools, colleges and special schools to hear about the impact the benchmarks have had on their pupils.
Guidance for SEND provision
When the benchmarks were first taken up by schools and colleges, a group of practitioners working with students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), in both mainstream and specialist settings, agreed that the benchmarks were an ambitious and appropriate framework for all their students.
In 2019, Gatsby published Good Career Guidance: Perspectives from the SEND sector to give a voice to experienced practitioners and national stakeholders in this area. The publication examines how the Gatsby Benchmarks have been used successfully to enhance careers education – including in special schools, specialist colleges and in alternative provision. Read on to find out more about their experiences.
Delivered by The Gatsby Charitable Foundation
Our vision for careers guidance
Gatsby’s vision for careers guidance is that, as part of their journey through education, all young people have equity of information, opportunity and experiences to help them make ambitious and fulfilling choices for their futures.
Our founder
Gatsby is a charitable foundation established by David Sainsbury – philanthropist and former Science Minister and business leader. Active since 1967, Gatsby’s activities focus on six key areas, one of which is education.
Impact
We are proud that since the national adoption of the Gatsby Benchmarks, educators and employers have been galvanised and standards are steadily improving. Over 96% of young people now receive an encounter with an employer each year, and students’ career readiness is increasing.
Working together
The Gatsby careers team works in collaboration with government, education and careers stakeholders, and schools and colleges to investigate the implementation of the Gatsby Benchmarks and conduct wider careers guidance policy and research.
Publications
Good Career Guidance: The Next 10 Years (Final Report)
The Next 10 Years - Summary for Leaders (Schools)
The Next 10 Years - Summary for Leaders (Colleges and ITPs)
Appendix 1 (Acknowledgements)
Appendix 2 (Consultation Survey Report)
Appendix 3 (Informational Interviews)
Appendix 4 (Literature Review)
Appendix 5 (Careers & Enterprise Company Data)
Appendix 6 (International Case Studies)
Appendix 7 (Youth Employment UK)
Appendix 8 (British Chambers of Commerce)
Appendix 9 (Comparing Original and Updated Benchmarks)
Good Career Guidance report (2014)
Good Career Guidance: Appendices (2014)
Good Career Guidance: Reaching the Gatsby Benchmarks handbook (2017)
Good Career Guidance: Perspectives from the SEND sector (2019)