What good looks like
Young people 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 or college’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.
- A school’s or college’s careers programme should actively seek to challenge stereotypical thinking and raise aspirations.
- Schools and colleges should keep systematic records of the individual advice given to each student, and subsequent agreed decisions. All students should have access to these records to support their career development.
- The records of advice given should be integrated with those given at the previous stage of the student’s education (including their secondary school) where these are made available. Records should begin to be kept from the first point of contact or from the point of transition.
- Schools should collect and maintain accurate data for each pupil on their education, training or employment destinations for at least three years after they leave school. This data should be used to review a school or college’s careers provision and inform development and continuous improvement.
- Colleges should collect and maintain accurate data for each student on their education, training or employment destinations. This data should be used to review a school or college’s careers provision and inform development and continuous improvement.
Why this matters
- 26% of young people who received free school meals (FSM) in year 11 are not in education or employment (NEET) aged 18-24, compared to 13% of non-FSM students
- High achieving students from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to apply to higher education, attend a high-status university, or access high status professional jobs than similarly qualified peers from more affluent backgrounds
- FSM students make up only 16.7% of students in KS5 (16-18 years) academic pathways in comparison to 28% on vocational pathways
- 1,400 more students per year in post-16 EET during 2018/19 connected to schools’ reported Gatsby Benchmark provision.
The benefits of Gatsby benchmark achievement for Post 16 destinations report click here.
Webinar series:
- Exploring approaches to the collection and maintenance of destination data and student records >Webinar (Jan/Feb 2022)
- Making effective use of destinations data >Webinar (Jan/Feb 2022)
- Inclusion and developing careers provision to meet the needs of all students > Webinar (March 2022)
Careers Leaders:
Getting started with BM3
- Refer to the CDI Framework and Skills Builder to ensure that your progressive careers programme scaffolds student knowledge and understanding linked to allow students to challenge stereotypical thinking and raise aspirations.
- Explore how Compass+ can support you with collection and visualisation of Destination Data.
- Consider how you can engage students and track actual and intended destinations. The DfE will soon be releasing updated Destinations Data Good Practice Guide.
- Refer to resource and support from Benchmark 1 relating to strategic planning and evaluation to inform best practice on making effective use of Destination Data.
Training
All Careers Leaders require Outstanding training
For further support with Benchmark 1 register for our fully funded Careers Leader training.
Download our Training Catalogue which includes all the information you need and a helpful comparison guide on the 11 high-quality Training Providers we work with. Here you will be able to choose the right course to suit you and your development, so that you can embed a successful careers programme in your school/college.
Once you have chosen the right course and Training Provider for you, you are all set to register!
Careers in Context: Can Do Approaches
Young people will have had very different experiences during the pandemic and may require different or enhanced support
Opportunity:
- Prioritise working with colleagues from senior leadership team and other key staff to ensure that the careers programme is responsive and effective in supporting and tracking positive destination outcomes for all students.
How:
- Establish systems and processes to track, record and respond to intended and actual destinations ensuring that vulnerable students and those at risk of not making positive transitions are identified and supported.
- Support existing and newly identified vulnerable groups by providing tailored opportunities for advice and support, particularly for newly identified vulnerable groups may include those disproportionately or unexpectedly impacted by Covid-19.
- You can support the most vulnerable students by: Aligning your careers programme to whole school or college initiatives on student engagement and NEET prevention.
- Work with colleagues to understand key groups of students who are most at risk of NEET or not making a positive transition to ensure that your progressive careers programme explicitly meets the needs of these students.
- Analysing destination data and knowledge of local labour market to inform and shape your careers programme.
- Compass+ can support you with tracking and recording student level intended and actual destinations. You can also create custom groups so you can target relevant careers interventions for students with highest need.
- Refer to resource and support from Benchmark 1 relating to strategic planning and evaluation to inform best practice on making effective use of Destination Data.
Education Leaders and Governors:
Education Leaders and Governors: For further information on each Benchmark, to support you in your role, please see the Education Leader, Secondary and College Governor Guides.
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What’s your strength? - Let’s get started!
An interactive card activity made in collaboration with Skills Builder, Let’s get started! empowers young people to discover their own skills and qualities and realise how amazing they are!
This is a costed resource.
What’s your strength?® cards - teen pack
Award winning self-awareness tool that empowers young people to discover their own skills and qualities and realise how amazing they are!
This is a costed resource.
What’s your strength?® - Free Downloads
Careers Adviser, Katherine Jennick, the creator of the award winning What’s your strength?® cards, has developed a number of strength-based tools which are free to download.
The Skills Suitcase
This resource is designed to help students identify their own skills – as well as the areas where they might need further development – and encourage reflection in a fun and engaging way.
Passport to Hospitality
Developed by Inspiring Worcestershire.
Passport to Hospitality has been designed with the student’s progression at the forefront. This brilliant project will take students on a tour around the Hospitality industry, learning about not only what services are classed as hospitality, it's history but what careers and entry level roles are available within the sector.
Passport to Health and Social Care
Developed by Inspiring Worcestershire.
Passport to Health and Social Care has been designed with the student’s progression at the forefront. This brilliant project will take the students on a tour around the Care sector, learning about different areas of Health and Social Care, the skills and knowledge involved and what careers and job roles are available within the sector.
icould
Use this content-rich website to inform and inspire young people’s career choices – featuring over 1,000 videos of real people talking about their careers.
Technical Education Pathways Resource
These resources will support you in promoting the wide range of technical education pathways which are available for young people.
Created in partnership with the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), these resources are designed to explain the pathways available to young people as well as promoting the wider work of the Training Provider (ITP) sector.
Naturally Talented Me
This Gatsby Benchmark-aligned profiling platform is designed to present and evidence an individual’s natural talents – and align them with real job requirements.
Subject in a box
Developed by Loughborough University this resource helps students understand the range of opportunities available to them through Higher Education and inspire them to continue learning via an engaging learning experience.
Support students at risk of NEET
We have collated key resource and support for you to ensure that you can effectively support students who are most at risk of not having a destination this summer.
Support students to make a successful transition
We have collated key resource and support for you to ensure that you can effectively support students to navigate application and recruitment processes and make effective transitions to their best next steps.