Over 90% of schools and colleges in England are using the eight Gatsby Benchmarks and achievement of the benchmarks has more than tripled since 2018 from an average of 1.9 out of 8 to more than 5.8 in 2024. This is great news, especially as we know that benchmark achievement is linked to fewer young people becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training). But with the recent review of the benchmarks set to become compulsory by September 2025, there is still plenty to be done to ensure careers education is implemented throughout the schools curriculum.
The Good Career Guidance: Next Ten Years review of the Gatsby Benchmarks published at the end of 2024 sets out five themes that senior leadership teams (SLTs) need to be aware of to ensure that careers education in your school meets the required standards:
- Careers at the heart of education and leadership
- Inclusion and impact for every young person
- Meaningful and varied encounters and experiences
- Use of data to inform decision-making
- Engagement of parents and carers
A significant addition to the review is the expectation that schools and colleges should draw on their alumni networks to enhance their careers education programmes. Additionally, there’s now a clearer definition of what “meaningful encounters” means in the context of students meeting employers and education providers.
What should you do next?
1. Embed careers across the curriculum and school life
Careers education is the most impactful when it is embedded throughout the school and that needs the buy-in from senior leadership and the wider school community. When careers education is embedded within curriculum planning and CPD and is seen as a vital part of supporting young people’s readiness for the world beyond school, the Gatsby Benchmarks will pretty much take care of themselves.
It’s not just about preparing your students for the world of work—it’s about equipping them with the tools, knowledge, and encounters they need to thrive.
2. Mobilise your alumni for inspirational impact
The Gatsby review acknowledges that, “encounters can be particularly powerful when they are with someone from a similar background” and that young people should experience “employers of different sizes and specialisms … This should include the self-employed and reflect trends in the labour market …”
Alumni can provide invaluable insights into different industries, job roles, and career paths and serve as role models who have walked a similar path, making them uniquely relatable to your students.
Engaging your alumni will enrich your careers programme and could help students build the connections they need for their future careers, whether that is through guest talks, resources, mentoring, or work experience placements for example.
3. Ensure your careers provision is accessible to all
The revised benchmarks make it clear that inclusion and any tailored support that may be needed by vulnerable or disadvantaged young people or those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) must be woven into the careers programme.
As an SLT, you should work with yourCareers Leader and Careers Advisor to ensure that your school’s careers programme is inclusive and adaptable to the needs of each student. This is an opportunity to work with any members of your alumni network who may have relevant lived experience. They will be uniquely placed to advise on how you can ensure your programme is equitable and accessible.
4. Engage your parents and carers
Parents and carers are one of the biggest influences in young people’s career decision-making. Both the Gatsby review and the Careers and Enterprise Company’s Ready for Work report (published on 3rd March 2025) highlight the need for parents to be involved in careers programmes so they can support their young people too.
Consider hosting events or workshops for parents and carers that focus on how they can assist their children in navigating career choices.
5. Don’t forget Benchmark 8: Personal Guidance
A common misconception is that employer or alumni-led encounters can replace the need for personal guidance from a qualified careers professional. However, this is not the case.
Just as years of study cannot be replaced by the last few revision sessions before GCSEs, careers education from Year 7 (or earlier) cannot be replaced by one career guidance meeting in Year 10. The more extensive the grounding, the more likely students are to retain their curriculum knowledge when it comes to exams. In the same way, the more career education touchpoints students have throughout school, the better prepared they will be for meaningful discussions with a careers professional in Year 10 or 11.
To meet the Gatsby Benchmarks, it is essential to give careers education the attention and resources it deserves. By embedding careers across the curriculum, leveraging your alumni network, and maintaining a focus on personal and tailored guidance, you’ll be able to show your students what “someone like me” can achieve.
Future First helps its member schools and colleges develop their own alumni networks, powered through the Future First Hub – a safe social media style platform that allows schools and alumni to connect, and supports virtual and in person volunteering. We have been working in this space for 15 years – and created over 1,250 alumni networks.
