Careers guidance

The future of career guidance

As new industries are emerging and many of the most important jobs of the future don’t yet exist, it’s vital that all young people get the highest quality career guidance.

Good guidance helps inspire students towards further study and enables them to make informed decisions whenever choices are open to them.

That’s why the UK government has directed all schools and colleges in England to implement the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance by 2020. Schools in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are not required to implement these Benchmarks however they can be a useful starting point when deciding on a framework for providing good careers guidance in schools.

As STEM professionals, we have a crucial role to play in supporting the next generation of researchers, technicians, thinkers, innovators and inventors.

What are the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance?

In order to raise the aspirations and future prospects of young people the Gatsby Charitable Foundation commissioned an international study to define excellence in careers guidance.

The result was eight Benchmarks:

A stable careers programme
Learning from career and labour market information
Addressing the needs of each student
Linking curriculum learning to careers
Encounters with employers and employees
Experiences of workplaces
Encounters with further and higher education
Personal guidance

These Benchmarks give schools and colleges a clear framework for providing good career guidance to each and every student, whatever their needs.

Read a more detailed summary of the Benchmarks.

What part can we play?

Raising the quality of careers provision requires a truly national effort.

First, Gatsby identified the eight benchmarks.

Then the government adopted the Benchmarks as part of its careers strategy.

By 2020, all schools and colleges in England will be required to implement and meet the Benchmarks.

Now it’s our turn.

I believe the STEM community can make a real difference in creating a step-change in career guidance for young people.

Benchmarks 5, 6 and 7 explicitly highlight the importance of involvement and influence of professionals and academics.

By educating young people about STEM careers, encouraging their interest and talents, and facilitating their exploration of the opportunities open to them, we can improve the supply of high-quality professionals in our fields.

RSC resources to support career talks in schools: