What good looks like
Every student should have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks.
- By the age of 16, every pupil should have had at least one experience of a workplace, additional to any part-time jobs they may have.
- By the age of 18, or before the end of their study programme, every student should have had at least one experience of a workplace, additional to any part-time jobs they may have
Why this matters
- Experiences of the workplace can create social capital for young people with more limited networks
- Experiences of the workplace give students the opportunity to develop essential skills
- 8.2 per cent of people aged 16-64 in the UK today (3.4 million people in total) have never had a paid job (besides casual and holiday work). Never ever report 2020, Resolution Foundation
“People who are literate and numerate have greater chances of success in employment and in life, but what we are increasingly understanding is that essential skills are also critical to these life chances.”
(Sir John Holman)
Careers Leaders:
Getting started with BM6
- Be clear about priority careers knowledge, understanding and application based on student needs and school priorities. Use this to shape and communicate planned intent for all experiences of the workplace.
- Gatsby Benchmark 6 describes experiences of workplaces as: “work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience”. It is important to approach this Benchmark with the understanding that work experience is not synonymous with experiences of the workplace. Remember that there is no blue print for age/key stage and format for experiences of the workplace. They should be planned for impact and implemented around what students need to know, understand and be able to do linked to a high level aim for the experience.
- Use the BM6 Careers Leader Guide to set learning aims and outcomes for experiences of work and reflect on most appropriate implementation type and time for your students based on their needs and aligned to school priorities.
- For further resources check out this page Reimagining Experiences of the Workplace.
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
Experiences of workplaces allow students to have first-hand experiences of the workplace through online or face to face work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and to expand networks. Experiences of the workplace could and should reflect the fastchanging nature of work, including remote working. The Gatsby Benchmarks hold the same level of relevance in an online world and continue to work as a framework for quality careers guidance. All experiences of workplaces should sit within a progressive careers programme that have clear learning outcomes and that supports positive student outcomes.
To include an activity under Benchmark 6, it must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Learning outcomes are defined, based on the age and needs of students
- Student meets a range of people from the workplace
- There is extensive two-way interaction between the student and employees
- Student must perform a task or produce a piece of work relevant to that workplace and receive feedback on it from the employer.
Opportunity:
- The current context allows us to re-evaluate and take a fresh look at the aims and value of experiences of work.
- Consider school/college priorities and key learning outcomes to shape the aims, content and format of any experiences of work.
- Schools, special schools and colleges were already exploring innovative alternatives to the traditional model of 1- or 2-week placements, including blended approaches.
- Experiences and encounters can also teach young people about digital skills, teamwork and communication in an online environment which has increasing relevance for workplaces.
How:
1. Identify relevant learning outcomes and aims for any experience of work and consider opportunities for implementation to deliver in those learning outcomes.
2. Consider how learning at school/home can be blended with structured experiences of work (online or face to face) to ensure that students access meaningful experiences of the workplace.
3. Whether face-to-face or online, work with employer partners to incorporate skills development that is up-to-date and relevant to the fast-changing world of work.
4. Consider developing workplace skills such as joining online meetings, independent working (e.g. research) and online professional etiquette to meet the changing requirements of the workplace.
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 Week of Work Careers Leader Guide
This guide supports the use of the My Week of Work resources.
Upskill Me
Upskill Me is a multipurpose tool enabling students to build a digital record of their achievements (both academic and extracurricular), learn about and develop in-demand soft skills, and find live opportunities to help them become better prepared for the world after school. Each students’ portfolio can be downloaded or shared into a job or UCAS application via a sharable link.
Experiences of workplaces - Practical ideas for achieving Gatsby Benchmark 6
This report provides practical insights from Careers Leaders about how to deliver meaningful workplace experiences for young people in secondary schools, colleges and special schools. It is targeted at schools and colleges seeking ideas for how to improve their provision.
Endeavour Career Insight Films
Developed by Endeavour Training.
This resource is a set of employability films for young people and parents. The films are focussed on opportunities in Sheffield and the surrounding areas but have elements which are universal across all areas.
IGD Work Experience week
If you are interested in helping your students learn about the food and grocery industry, we would recommend IGD Feeding Britains Futures. It is a free initiative that brings the industry together to develop students’ employability skills and learn about the wide range of roles in the industry.
Discover Creative Careers
Funded by DCMS and led by industry, the Discover Creative Careers website is an online portal packed with information, resources and events to help young people explore roles in the creative industries. Starting with an interactive careers finder tool connecting to more than 520 job profiles and an opportunity directory of events, resources, skills competitions, virtual work experience and more.
Find an Activity Provider tool
This portal lists organisations that have activities that meet Gatsby Benchmark 5 (encounters with employers and employees) and Benchmark 6 (experience of workplaces).
Guidance for Middle Schools
Interpreting the Gatsby Benchmarks and Compass Completion Guidance (Updated 2021)
The guidance takes Middle School Careers Leaders through how to respond to the sub benchmark questions when completing your self-evaluation on Compass or Compass+.
Guide for Education Leaders in schools and colleges
For Education Leaders, highlighting priority areas to maximise the impact of careers and the support and resources available.
Intern Video Resource
The Careers & Enterprise Company hosted two students from School21 as interns as part of the Real World Learning Programme. As the first ever year 10 interns, Adil and Uyiosa bring to you their video resource on what young people want to know learn and experience when transitioning from education to the world of work.
Fuelling Futures: a guide to supporting SEND for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
A practical guide to help employers provide workplace experiences, including supported internships and supported apprenticeships, for young people with SEND.
Immerse Education
Immerse Education offers two week programmes in academic subject development with tutors from the University of Oxford and Cambridge. These take place as a residential programme in July and August, with accommodation provided at the universities, and a full programme of support academic and social activities.
There are also options to take part virtually, with an Online Academic Insights programme that runs for two weeks in December, April and throughout July and August. Although this is a fee-paying programme, we have bursaries available, and offer scholarships based on an essay competition open to all students aged 13-18.