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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Curriculum Audit Tool
The purpose of this curriculum audit tool is to enable a whole institution view of where, throughout the curriculum, knowledge is being delivered and evidence is being gathered against the Universal career related learning outcomes.
equalex
Developed by the Careers & Enterprise Company and supported by Careers Hubs, the equalex framework, defines learning outcomes and objectives and allows educators to embed meaningful workplace experiences within a progressive whole school careers programme.
Watch the video below, 'Leadership in Action: Defining the Future of High-Quality, Modern Work Experiences,' to learn about the benefits.
Compass Evaluation
A Compass evaluation enables education settings to quickly and easily evaluate their careers activity against the eight Gatsby Benchmarks.
The Compass evaluation feature was built in partnership with the Gatsby Charitable Foundation to help practitioners easily discover their education setting's strengths and find areas for improvement.
The Compass evaluation questions have had some small updates for 26/27 and updated question by question guidance is coming soon to reflect these changes.
The WOW Show
Take advantage of this free, flexible teaching tool which provides ‘meaningful’ virtual video encounters in line with Gatsby Benchmark 5 for young people to explore a significant range of workplaces and ‘meet’ near peers to understand what their jobs are really like.
Check out the latest film!
Engaging education leaders in the peer-to-peer review process
Resources to help you understand the value of taking part in a peer-to-peer review, or to support education leaders in engaging meaningfully with the process.
Understanding how to embed progressive employer encounters and work experiences
These resources help Careers Leaders to plan, implement and impact evaluate a progressive and embedded approach to Benchmarks 5 and 6. The resource supports a meaningful approach and is underpinned by the following core guiding principles:
- Start early to develop a progressive approach that allows for multiple encounters and experiences across all key stages
- Be intent and outcome led
- Be responsive to learner need, evaluation data and regional/labour market context
Coffee With: Helping young people explore the world of work through real stories and career guidance
Careers education works best when everyone's involved - because every lesson is an opportunity to show students where their learning leads.
Coffee With gives every student, every subject teacher, and every Careers Leader what they need to make it work in practice, not just on paper.
Gatsby Benchmark Toolkit: Schools, Special Schools & AP
The Gatsby Benchmark Toolkit for Schools, Special Schools and Alternative Provisions provides practical information and guidance on the updated Gatsby Benchmarks .
Careers Impact System peer-to-peer review
The Careers Impact peer-to-peer review is an expert-facilitated, collaborative process that brings external challenge to strengthen careers leadership and improvement planning. It supports institutions to test their thinking, refine priorities, and embed high-quality careers provision across the system.
Primary Career Resources
Career-related learning in primary schools includes activities designed to give pupils a wide range of experiences of education, transitions and the world of work.
Engaging education leaders in the internal leadership review process
If you are looking to understand why you should take part in an internal leadership review, or you are supporting education leaders and senior staff to engage with the process, this collection of resources will help you get started and ensure the experience is purposeful and impactful.
The National Apprenticeship & Education Events
The National Apprenticeship & Education Events are designed to inspire school & college leavers, and other young adults, to discover more about career and further education opportunities.
Book your Free Student Places!