Using icould to help you meet the Gatsby benchmarks

The Gatsby benchmarks form part of the government’s careers strategy (December 2017).

Schools are now required to show how they are meeting each benchmark with their students. Schools should meet all benchmarks by the end of 2020.

There are eight different benchmarks. Using icould as part of a wider careers programme can help you meet the following benchmarks:

Every student, and their parents, should have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed adviser to make best use of available information.

By the age of 14, all pupils should have accessed and used information about career paths and the labour market to inform their own decisions on study options.

Parents should be encouraged to access and use information about labour markets and future study options to inform their support to their children.

Using icould:

• Labour Market Information (LMI) is available below every icould video. It doesn’t correspond directly to the person in the video but provides average information for that job type (or a close match, as indicated). We have included additional information to help students understand the data. We use the most recent LMI data available which is updated by an automatic feed from LMI for All (funded by the Department for Education)
• Our Career paths section provides guides around key decision points and different routes available. In particular:

GCSE options

Apprenticeships

A-levels and college

University

Students have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each student. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.

A school’s careers programme should actively seek to challenge stereotypical thinking and raise aspirations.

Using icould:

• icould videos actively challenge career stereotypes and show the career paths of people from a wide range of backgrounds, across a range of sectors and levels. This enables students to tap into perspectives outside their own network or equally, be inspired by stories relating to their own experience
• The site encourages young people to discover opportunities and job types they may not have known about before (for example through exploring icould videos or taking the Buzz Quiz). Showing a range of opportunities and career routes can help raise aspirations and broaden young people’s horizons

All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths.

By the age of 14, every pupil should have had the opportunity to learn how the different STEM subjects help people to gain entry to, and be more effective workers within, a wide range of careers.

Using icould:

• You can see links between curriculum subjects and careers by exploring icould videos by subject
• We also have an additional resource Your subject their future: a guide to using volunteers and videos to enhance the curriculum which helps to draw clear links between the classroom and the reality of the workplace in ways that young people can understand. The guide is produced by icould in partnership with Inspiring the Future