The Gatsby Benchmarks – What are they?
The Gatsby Benchmarks are well established having been explicitly referenced throughout the DfE’s Careers Strategy (December 2017) and Statuary Guidance for careers updates since 2018. They have actually been around however since 2013, here we provide a summary of the benchmarks exploring what they are, where they came from and their strengths and weaknesses.
The Gatsby Benchmarks originated in a research report (Good Career Guidance) from the Gatsby Foundation in 2013. The report was commissioned by Lord Sainsbury and Sir John Holman was appointed to lead a research team to focus on international evidence for ‘what works’ in career development. The research provides a comprehensive study of career development exploring key elements of good career development, the cost per school or college for good career development and the economic benefit of career development to the economy. Price Waterhouse Cooper were commissioned to provide the latter and summarised that the cost of every NEET individual to the government is the same amount required to provide the benchmarks to 280 pupils. The overall annual cost to the government for implementing a good careers guidance strategy is £207 million in the first year and £173 million per year thereafter. The study explored international evidence from The Netherlands, Germany, Hong Kong, Ontario- Canada, Finland and Ireland.
The report found 8 benchmarks of best practice, which are now more commonly known as ‘The Gatsby Benchmarks.’ They are:
- A stable careers programme
- Learning from career and labour market information
- Addressing the needs of each pupil
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experiences of workplaces
- Encounters with further and higher education
- Personal guidance
Each of the benchmarks have sub-criteria for how they can be achieved. Along with the 8 benchmarks, the report makes 10 recommendations for implementing the benchmarks. The Department for Education commissions the Careers and Enterprise Company to support schools to implement the benchmarks through:
- Self-assessment and tracking tools (Compass and Compass+)
- Research and resources
- National Career Leader training programme
- Enterprise Coordinator Network at local level
- Supporting schools to gain an Enterprise Adviser volunteer
- Creating local careers hubs for schools and colleges.
Compass has become the measure to support schools and colleges to self-assess their progress towards meeting the benchmarks. The Careers and Enterprise Company publishes data each year to report on the national average schools and colleges are performing at against the benchmarks. Initially in 2017/18 the data showed us that schools and colleges were fully meeting 2 of the 8 benchmarks on average. This has increased year on year with the overall average growing to 4.86 benchmarks in October 2022. This average however increases for schools who hold the Quality in Careers Standard and as well as being in a hub area.
Most schools and colleges will meet all of the benchmarks partially, but will fall down on the coverage of each benchmark. For example, benchmark 5 states that all learners should have at least one encounter per year with employers from age 11-18. Benchmark 8 requires all learners to receive at least one Personal Guidance appointment from a trained careers adviser by the end of year 11 and a further session before the end of year 13.
Although the Gatsby Benchmarks have clearly impacted significantly on the delivery of careers guidance in schools and colleges in England, many in the careers profession consider them to have flaws. Below are some of the most commonly cited flaws:
- They do not have any reference to learning outcomes for what learners are expected to achieve. There is no reference to the Career Development Institute’s 11-19 framework.
- Overall, the attention to monitoring, reviewing, evaluating and improving careers programmes is quite weak, therefore it is difficult to evidence impact.
- There is no requirement for external validation/assessment of achievement of the benchmarks.
- Schools and colleges have not been provided with any funding to support developments towards Gatsby.
The Department for Education in its strategy and statutory guidance strongly recommends that schools use the Quality in Careers Standard to externally validate their progress towards the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks. The Quality in Careers Standard is the single national quality award for careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) in secondary schools, colleges and work-based learning. Complete-Careers/Career Mark is a well established Licensed Awarding body for the Quality in Careers Standard. We support schools, colleges and work-based learning providers throughout the country to continually improve their provision through our supportive approach. To find out more visit: https://complete-careers.com/career-mark/