Encounters with employers and employees
Every learner should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment opportunities, including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes, and could include learners’ own part-time employment where it exists.
What good looks like
Schools
- Every year, from the age of 11, learners should participate in at least one meaningful encounter with an employer.
Further Education
- Every year, alongside their programme of study, learners should participate in at least two meaningful encounters with an employer. At least one encounter should be delivered through their curriculum area.
Gatsby have provided a definition of what constitutes a ‘meaningful encounter’ with employers and employees:
A meaningful encounter gives the learner the opportunity to learn about what work is like, what skills are valued in the workplace, their recruitment processes and what it takes to be successful.
A meaningful encounter will:
- have a clear purpose, which is shared with the employer and the learner.
- be underpinned by learning outcomes that are appropriate to the needs of the learner.
- have opportunities for two-way interactions between the learner and the employer.
- be followed by time for the learner to reflect on the insights, knowledge or skills gained through the encounter.
Schools, colleges and ITPs can take into account any part-time work a learner may have, if it genuinely offers them a meaningful experience.
The resources below are designed to support you with Gatsby Benchmark 5. To explore all of the Gatsby Benchmarks in greater depth, download the toolkit that best aligns with your setting.
Provide multiple opportunities for meaningful employer encounters. Organise at least one meaningful encounter with an employer every year within a progressive careers programme. This could include employer-led workshops, mentoring, mock interviews, enterprise schemes, etc. These resources help Careers Leaders to plan, implement and impact evaluate a progressive and embedded approach to Benchmarks 5 and 6.
Encounters with employers, employees and the self-employed (…)result in better outcomes for young people, including being more ready for the workplace; having a reduced likelihood of not being in education, employment or training (NEET); and increased careers awareness, motivation and confidence. Use the checklist in this resource when planning all employer encounters.
Find and contact delivery organisations to support employer encounters via the CEC’s Provider Directory. Keep a centralised record of all the employers that deliver careers activities to your learners by utilising the Careers Partners section in Compass+. Enter contact details for employers safely and securely, then use the intuitive filter functionality to support targeted and meaningful employer engagement.
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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My Learning My Future: Maths
The My Learning, My Future resources aim to increase learner engagement by showing how subjects connect to careers and the world of work.
Line Manager Guide: Careers for Apprentices
A guide to support independent training providers working with employers to deliver high quality careers within apprenticeships. This short guide sets out how employers can help contribute to delivery, providing top tips for helping to meet the Gatsby benchmarks.
Skills Builder Partnership Impact Directory
The Skills Builder Partnership brings together educators, employers and organisations around a common approach and mission: to support everyone to build the essential skills to succeed. The Impact Directory celebrates and shares the fantastic work of Skills Builder’s partners.
My Environment My Future
My Environment My Future (MEMF) is a fully-funded school programme which embeds knowledge, resources and guidance on careers within the built environment into the delivery of the Key Stage 2 & 3 National Curriculum and the core GCSE and A-level Geography curriculum.
It is completely free to register and download the resources. For more information on MEMF, please visit the website.
Parent Pledge Campaign
Developed by the team at Inspiring Worcestershire this resource aims to engage parents in supporting delivery of career related activities across a whole school or college.
Inspiring Worcestershire SEND resources
Inspiring Worcestershire Careers Hub have developed a number of resources for SEND as part of the work in the SEND Community of Practice.
Interviewing an Adult SEND activity
Developed by Inspiring Worcestershire Careers Hub this resource should support SEND students to learn how to start to understand that talking to adults about the world of work can help them map out and understand their future career pathways.
Passport to Retail
Developed by Inspiring Worcestershire. Passport to Retail has been designed with the student’s progression at the forefront. This brilliant project will take students on a tour around the Retail industry, learning about key areas from customer services to stock rotation to build their knowledge and skill in preparation for the workplace.
Research your future Activity SEND
This resource has been developed by the team at Inspiring Worcestershire and contains an activity for SEND students around researching their future.
A - Z of jobs activity SEND
Developed by the Inspiring Worcestershire Careers Hub team, this activity will enable SEND students to begin to learn how to research information regarding different job roles of interest to them.
SEND Guess my job activity
Developed by the Inspiring Worcestershire Careers Hub team this resource is aimed at settings with young people with SEND.
Futures for All: Virtual and onsite work experiences
We connect young people from state secondary schools and colleges with life-changing and career-enhancing work experience opportunities with leading employers at a regional and national level.