CDI Welcomes Revisions to the Gatsby Benchmarks

The revised Gatsby Benchmarks were launched mid November, after over a decade of use in secondary schools and colleges across England. As a key element of careers guidance provision, the CDI welcomes these revisions of the Benchmarks that supports the growing focus on career development as an enabler for young people’s work and life aspirations.

On Monday, November 18, 2024, following two years of development, the revised Gatsby Benchmarks were introduced to enhance careers guidance provision in education in England.

Gatsby Benchmarks

The Gatsby Benchmarks are a framework of eight standards that define world-class careers education, information, advice, and guidance for young people in England. Initially developed in 2014, the Benchmarks have become firmly established at the centre of careers guidance provision in education in England: Statutory Guidance for schools and colleges is based on achieving the eight Benchmarks, the Careers & Enterprise Company provides a wide range of support including the Compass evaluation tool, and the CDI’s Career Development Framework, the Quality in Careers Standard and more are designed to work seamlessly with them.

Evolution not revolution

The Gatsby Foundation undertook extensive research and gathered feedback from a wide range of careers practitioners, experts and stakeholders for this review, supported by its academic partner the International Centre for Guidance Studies at the University of Derby. The response revealed a consensus that the Gatsby Benchmarks work well and although updates were needed, significant changes were not desired.

The Benchmarks have provided a structure for careers provision, and schools and colleges are making progress in achieving them. To make substantial changes could create uncertainty and hinder further progress. I am reassured to see this reflected in the nature of the revisions – driven by evidence from the research they have strengthened and clarified the guidance for institutions without altering the core principles.

Most people working to the Gatsby Benchmarks are naturally going to focus on the updated Benchmark descriptions and requirements to see how they have changed. But, as this is one of the largest recent studies of careers services in English schools, it is worth taking the time to look at the full report and the broader findings that underpin these revisions.

A whole organisation approach… and beyond

The evidence shows that careers provision is most effective when it is integrated across the institution and the report calls for more to be done to help education leaders understand the importance of careers provision for their pupils. For Careers Leaders and Careers Advisers who feel isolated, this is welcome as it provides additional context to foster greater engagement from their leadership teams.

The report also emphasises the importance of careers staff collaborating with specialists who support disadvantaged students or those with special/additional needs, to ensure that careers programmes are tailored to meet their needs. This is welcome because, although some institutions have excellent support for disadvantaged and SEND young people, the recent House of Lords Public Services Committee report highlighted that many young people with SEND still lack adequate support.

The update also acknowledges that many young people receive further education outside traditional educational settings, with specific consideration given to those in training providers, apprenticeships, and those not in formal education.

Additionally, the update recognises the significant role parents and carers play in the decision-making processes of young people. By involving them in the planning of careers programmes, Careers Leaders can ensure they have a greater impact for young people.

Enhancing ‘meaningful’ encounters and experiences

The revised Gatsby Benchmarks reflect the strengthened statutory guidance for encounters with further and higher education, as well as the new government’s policy for high-quality work experience. These revisions include clearer definitions of what constitutes a ‘meaningful’ encounter under Benchmarks 5, 6, and 7.

In line with the Department for Education’s initial proposals for the work experience policy, it is good to see flexibility built into the requirements to enable these experiences to meet the needs of young people with different characteristics. It is also crucial that the Benchmarks include encouraging a variety of experiences and allowing time for young people to prepare and reflect on those experiences and what they have learned from them – increasing the value gained from these activities.

Strengthening the role of the Careers Adviser

While Careers Leaders remain core to delivery of careers programmes, it is encouraging to see the role of the Careers Adviser more widely referenced throughout the Benchmarks, including the need for them to work with other staff within schools such as the SENCO. Benchmark 8 – personal guidance – retains the same number of required meetings but there is further detail; ensuring meetings are scheduled to meet the needs of pupils and communicating the available support to pupils and their parents and carers.

Careers Adviser still need to be trained to an appropriate level, and we were pleased to see the call to move towards all Careers Advisers (and I would suggest Careers Leaders) being on the UK Register of Career Development Professionals. This ensures they are appropriately qualified to Level 6 or Level 7, abide by the CDI Code of Ethics and undertake at least 25 hours of continuous development each year, thus ensuring young people receive impartial and informed careers guidance.

The report also suggests considering registration for Level 4 careers staff – those qualified to provide information and advice but not personal guidance. There is an argument for this, to widen the professional requirements for all staff supporting young people with their career development. Yet it needs to be considered carefully to avoid confusion between roles and ensure no erosion of the qualification standards for those delivering personal careers guidance. This has relevance to wider research the CDI is currently undertaking into how careers professionals become qualified to practice.

Investment to keep building

The updates to the Gatsby benchmarks are a welcome, measured step forward that continue to raise the standards in education-based careers services. The government has confirmed they will be reflected in updated Statutory Guidance to be published next year and this underpins their continued importance in setting standards for schools and colleges.

Yet a key issue sits outside the remit of the Benchmarks – the funding of schools to provide sufficient resourcing for the Careers Leader role, for Careers Advisers to provide high quality personal guidance (the CDI’s recommendation of a minimum of 45 minutes for each meeting is in the Statutory Guidance) and wider support for the careers programme. This investment is needed for institutions to be able to fully achieve the Benchmarks and offer the comprehensive and high-quality careers support their young people deserve.

With policies being developed to recruit an additional 1,000 Careers Advisers and introduce mandatory work experience requirements, I am hopeful that the government will ensure funding that will allow schools to make the most of these new Benchmarks.

I look forward to the revised Gatsby Benchmarks continuing to support education institutions in helping young people prepare for their next steps and manage their careers throughout their lives.

David Morgan, Chief Executive, CDI