Career Starter

Curriculum Essentials

Our trusted foundation of bite-sized assembly, tutorial and classroom resources for every student in every year group, all mapped to Gatsby benchmarks.

All students

Activities and resources for all young people

All year groups

For all secondary and sixth form years 7 – 13

Bite-sized resources

Easy to drop into your existing timetables

Gatsby-ready

All mapped to Gatsby Benchmarks

Our programme

Starting Strong

Our structured, Career Starter activities will provide your school with a trusted foundation of careers guidance, all mapped against Gatsby Benchmarks and our own learning outcomes that will help prepare your students for the world of work.

All of our content is sequenced for each year group, ensuring that every student has the information, resources, and inspiration required for each stage of their education journey.

From exploring and introducing skills in Year 7, through to industry insights and apprenticeships in Years 11 and 12, we offer every student 10 or more careers interventions per academic year.

“The resources offer new perspectives and showcase subjects in a way that is ‘not the norm’, challenging stereotypes.”

Kate Forrest
Assistant Head, West Derby School

Good careers guidance

Great (for) Gatsby

Our structured series of assemblies, tutorials and classroom resources are designed to build students’ understanding of the world of work from year 7 to 13, and help schools deliver a careers education mapped against the Gatsby Benchmarks for good careers guidance.

Gatsby Benchmarks

Our Career Starter programme helps schools and colleges deliver benchmarks 1, 2, 3, 4 & 7. Combined with Career Builder, we cover 7 out of 8 Gatsby Benchmarks for all young people.

  • Every school and college should have a stable, structured careers programme that has the explicit backing of the senior management team.
  • There should be an identified and appropriately trained person responsible for it.
  • It should be published on the school’s website and accessible to pupils, parents, teachers and employers.
  • The programme should be regularly evaluated with feedback from pupils, parents, teachers and employers.

  • 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.
  • An informed adviser can help them make the best use of available information.

  • Pupils have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each pupil. 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.
  • Schools should keep systematic records of the individual advice given to each pupil, and subsequent agreed decisions. All pupils should have access to these records to support their career development.
  • Schools should collect and retain accurate data for each pupil on their education, training or employment destinations for at least three years after they leave the school.

  • 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.

  • Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace.
  • Every year, from the age of 11, pupils should participate in at least one meaningful encounter*with an employer. A ‘meaningful encounter’ is one in which the student has an opportunity to learn about what work is like or what it takes to be successful in the workplace.
  • This can be achieved through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes.

  • By the age of 16, every pupil should have had at least one experience of a workplace, additional to any part-time jobs they may have.
  • By the age of 18, every pupil should have had one further such experience, additional to any part-time jobs they may have.

  • By the age of 16, every pupil should have had a meaningful encounter* with providers of the full range of learning opportunities, including sixth forms, colleges, universities and apprenticeship providers. This should include the opportunity to meet both staff and pupils.
  • By the age of 18, all pupils who are considering applying for university should have had at least two visits to universities to meet staff and pupils.
  • A ‘meaningful encounter’ is one in which the student has an opportunity to explore what it is like to learn in that environment.

  • Every pupil should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a Careers Adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appro priate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all pupils but should be timed to meet their individual needs.
  • Every pupil should have at least one such interview by the age of 16, and the opportunity for a further interview by the age of 18.
Get involved

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YOUNG PEOPLE

We give you the platform to develop new skills, boost your confidence and gain valuable workplace experiences.

APPLY

EDUCATORS

We connect you and your students with employers, providing high-impact career programmes and support.

ENQUIRE

VOLUNTEERS

From mentoring to presenting masterclasses. Rewarding, flexible ways to support young people and develop your skills.

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EMPLOYERS

We connect you with young, undiscovered talent, enabling you to boost social mobility and tap into diverse talent.

PARTNER