Good Career Guidance: The Next 10 YearsRead the updated Gatsby Benchmarks - recommended by Government guidance from September 2025
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What are the Gatsby Benchmarks?
The eight benchmarks define world-class careers guidance for young people in England, based on international evidence. They are now used in over 4,700 secondary schools, colleges and independent training providers.
The Gatsby Benchmarks have been central to government statutory guidance for secondary schools and guidance for colleges since 2018. Since then, national performance against the eight benchmarks has more than tripled.
In 2024, following two years of extensive research and consultation, the Gatsby Benchmarks were updated to ensure they continue to define world-class career guidance for young people.
The eight benchmarks
Benchmark 1
A stable careers programme
1Benchmark 2
Learning from career and labour market information
2Benchmark 3
Addressing the needs of each pupil
3Benchmark 4
Linking curriculum learning to careers
4Benchmark 5
Encounters with employers and employees
5Benchmark 6
Experiences of workplaces
6Benchmark 7
Encounters with further and higher education
7Benchmark 8
Personal guidance
8Explore the impact of the benchmarks
To mark the tenth anniversary of the Gatsby Benchmarks, we visited education leaders and careers leaders in schools, colleges and special schools to hear about the impact the benchmarks have had on their pupils.
Guidance for SEND provision
When the benchmarks were first taken up by schools and colleges, a group of practitioners working with students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), in both mainstream and specialist settings, agreed that the benchmarks were an ambitious and appropriate framework for all their students.
In 2019, Gatsby published Good Career Guidance: Perspectives from the SEND sector to give a voice to experienced practitioners and national stakeholders in this area. The publication examines how the Gatsby Benchmarks have been used successfully to enhance careers education – including in special schools, specialist colleges and in alternative provision. Read on to find out more about their experiences.
Publications
Browse our full collection of reports and supporting documents relating to the Gatsby Benchmarks.
Delivered by The Gatsby Charitable Foundation
Our vision for careers guidance
Gatsby’s vision for careers guidance is that, as part of their journey through education, all young people have equity of information, opportunity and experiences to help them make ambitious and fulfilling choices for their futures.
Our founder
Gatsby is a charitable foundation established by David Sainsbury – philanthropist and former Science Minister and business leader. Active since 1967, Gatsby’s activities focus on six key areas, one of which is education.
Impact
We are proud that since the national adoption of the Gatsby Benchmarks, educators and employers have been galvanised and standards are steadily improving. Over 96% of young people now receive an encounter with an employer each year, and students’ career readiness is increasing.
Working together
The Gatsby careers team works in collaboration with government, education and careers stakeholders, and schools and colleges to investigate the implementation of the Gatsby Benchmarks and conduct wider careers guidance policy and research.