Encounters with further and higher education
All learners should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them, including academic, technical and vocational routes. This should incorporate learning in schools, colleges, independent training providers (ITPs), universities and in the workplace.
What good looks like
Schools
- By the age of 16, every pupil should have had meaningful encounters with providers of the full range of learning opportunities, including sixth forms, colleges, universities and ITPs.
- By the age of 18, all pupils who are considering applying to higher education should have had at least two visits to higher education providers to meet staff and learners.
Further Education
- By the end of their programme of study, every learner should have had a meaningful encounter with a range of providers of learning and training that may form the next stages of their career. This should include as appropriate, further education colleges, universities and ITPs. This should include the opportunity to meet both staff and learners.
Gatsby have provided a definition of what constitutes a meaningful experience:
A meaningful experience is one in which the learner has an opportunity to explore what it is like to work in that environment, the skills valued in the workplace, recruitment processes or what it takes to be successful.
A meaningful experience 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.
- Involve an extensive two-way interaction between learners and employees.
- Include opportunities for learners to meet a range of different people from the workplace
- Include opportunities for learners to perform a task set by the employer or produce a piece of work relevant to that workplace.
- Include feedback from the employer to learners on their work.
- Be followed by opportunities for learners to reflect on the insights, knowledge or skills gained through their experience.
Schools, colleges and ITPs can take into account any part-time work a young person may have, if it genuinely offers them a meaningful experience.
The resources below are designed to support you with Gatsby Benchmark 7. To explore all of the Gatsby Benchmarks in greater depth, download the toolkit that best aligns with your setting.
Ensure learners are supported to consider the full range of pathways with equity, including academic, technical and vocational routes. Access the Understanding how to embed a progressive approach to encounters with further and higher education resource.
Find and contact delivery organisations to support encounters with further and higher education via the CEC Provider Directory. For SEND learners, the local offer (specific to geographical region) can support with relevant options alongside multi-agency links through the EHCP process.
Encourage all staff to complete the free online course Teachers Part 1: Understanding Career Pathways via The Careers & Enterprise Academy. Signpost parents and carers to CEC resources and activities to enable effective careers conversations at home. Use the checklist in the Understanding how to embed a progressive approach to encounters with further and higher education resource.
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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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!
FES Connect Activity
‘FES Connect’ is a national community for Post 16 careers leaders and practitioners, supporting development and sharing of best practice to ensure every learner is supported to find their next best step.
An opportunity to share examples of what's working well across the country in careers education via online seminars, newsletters showcasing best practice and an FES Connect chat board.
Click here to register.
Digital ATE Resources for Teachers and Careers Leaders
Developed in partnership with Amazing Apprenticeships, this digital resource is designed for Careers Leaders and teachers to raise awareness of apprenticeships and technical pathways through careers-specific sessions.
Compass Evaluation
The Compass evaluation has been updated in response to the updated Gatsby Benchmarks and statutory guidance.
Understanding how to embed progressive encounters with further and higher education
This resource supports Careers Leaders to embed encounters with providers of all routes available to students at key transitions within a progressive and impactful careers programme. The guidance will support meaningful achievement of relevant Gatsby Benchmarks and of Provider Access Legislation. To support a meaningful approach to Benchmark 7 and to Provider Access Legislation (PAL), this resource is underpinned by the following guiding principles:
- Start early to develop a progressive approach that allows for multiple experiences across all key stages
- Be intent and outcome lead
- Be responsive to learner need, evaluation data and regional/labour market context
- Commit to true advocacy and ensure equity of access to information and understanding
- Challenge misconceptions, stereotypes and assumptions head on
Vocational Profiling
Supporting delivery of the Gatsby Benchmark and CDI Careers Framework.
Careers in Prosthetics and Orthotics
A range of resources developed by The British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists.
My Skills My Future
This programme has been collated from resources across our partners and network to support young people with SEND under the 2 groups identified in the SEND toolkit. It contains lessons around employability skill development , employer projects and engagement videos all to support young people in their next steps.
Amazing Apprenticeships Resources
Amazing Apprenticeships is a leading organisation in the education sector, working with schools, colleges and employers, tackling misconceptions and promoting the benefits of apprenticeships and technical education.
They work closely with the Department for Education and a wide range of other partners and stakeholder organisations in England and internationally, to ensure that more individuals and businesses can access the benefits of apprenticeships.
Animated film explaining what apprenticeships are and their benefits, watch here!
My Journey, My Future
This programme is focused on the different stages of transition experienced by young people on the journey from education to the world of work.
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.
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.