A guide for the uninitiated

In short, the Gatsby Benchmarks are one of the major influences on how we prepare young people in schools and colleges for the world of work.

What? How come I’ve never heard of them?

Well if you work in a school or college, you really should have heard of them. If you haven’t, read this blog and then go find your school careers leader and impress them with your new knowledge and let them know you want to find out more.

OR

If you’re a parent or carer and you have heard about the benchmarks, then your child’s school may well be doing a great job. If you’ve not heard of them, don’t worry, you’re in the majority and you’ll find all the information you need below.

So what are the benchmarks?

The Gatsby Benchmarks are eight indicators of a school/college’s ability to provide students with good preparation for the working world. They first came out ten years ago and the Government adopted them to form the basis of how schools and colleges prepare young people for the world of work. You’ll see them below. (From now on I’ll use the term ‘school’ to mean both schools and colleges.)

Let’s not get too caught up in the nitty gritty of these benchmarks; this isn’t a post for experts, this is for the uninitiated. So let’s break them down into their simplest forms: 

Benchmark 1

Every school must have a written plan which outlines the teaching and experiences that each student in the school must have access to. They need to put this information on their school website.

Benchmark 2

Every student must have access to information about the hundreds if not thousands of jobs that exist in the world AND they must learn to use that information to understand the role and how things such as the pay, working conditions, gender employment balance and where the jobs are located may affect life in many ways. They then should be taught how to use this information to inform their choices.

Benchmark 3

This benchmark basically requires the school to tailor how they deliver information and activities to the needs of students.

Benchmark 4

This requires subject areas to show students how what they’re learning in school would/could be useful in the working world. For example, drama activities might improve confidence. The use of colour taught in art and design could be used to influence customers in marketing.

Benchmark 5

Actual interactions, either virtually or in person with employers and/or their employees so that students can hear about the work they do, speak with them and ask questions.

Benchmark 6

This can be work experience or experience of work. It covers things such as traditional block work experience, work shadowing, or project work with an employer either within the classroom, at employers’ premises or virtually.

Benchmark 7

This means meeting with or visiting colleges, training providers, universities etc. It must include opportunities to ask questions, such as about what courses involve, any costs, bursaries available or apprenticeship routes.

Benchmark 8

Students should be offered a chance to meet with an ‘appropriately qualified’ person, that is somebody who has been trained to support people with making career decisions, at least once by the time they’re in year 11 and again if they wish by the time they’re 18.

Well those are the Gatsby Benchmarks. Have they changed how we prepare young people? Let’s think back, has the world of work changed much in your lifetime? If you’re as old as me, then you probably won’t have had work experience. However, for most of you I’d guess you had a week or two’s work experience, a few lessons on CVs and applications, and a one-off visit to a careers adviser.

Let’s look again at the benchmarks. What changes have they made? Students now have lessons that show them how what they are learning fits into the working world. They meet with employers, visit colleges and apprenticeship providers, learn about how jobs affect their life via pay, working hours etc. So, naturally, the preparation schools give students for the working world has moved on. Have you talked to your child about how their school prepares them? If not, why not have that conversation?

Oh, and by the way, a new version of the benchmarks has just been unveiled but those don’t come into effect until later in 2025 so I’ll be outlining them in another blog soon. Keep an eye out for it.

© Janet College, written November 2024