Good career guidance is critical if young people are to raise their aspirations and capitalise on the opportunities available to them. In 2013 we commissioned Sir John Holman to research what pragmatic actions could improve career guidance in England and subsequently he developed the Good Career Guidance Benchmarks.
Learn More
In late 2015 David Sainsbury was asked by government to chair a panel of experts that would provide clear recommendations for measures that would not only improve, but transform, technical education in England. The panel’s report was published alongside the government’s Post-16 Skills Plan in July 2016.
Learn More
Technicians are the linchpins of the UK economy. They are skilled people who use their science, engineering or technology knowledge to identify and solve practical problems. They are the electricians and plumbers that we all rely on, but they are also crucial to the success of many of our country’s future-growth areas, including the aerospace, chemical, digital, engineering and manufacturing industries.
Learn More
Once in secondary education, exposure to effective science and maths teaching delivered by teachers that are knowledgeable and passionate about their subject can be transformative. That is why we care about the supply and training of specialist teachers in these subjects.
Learn More
Good career guidance has never been more important. Changes in technology and in the labour market mean that increasing numbers of jobs require specific education and training, yet career guidance in English schools has often been criticised for being inadequate and patchy.
Technical education offers young people a clear route from school into rewarding technician occupations, and progression to higher education for those who wish to do so. The implementation of the Sainsbury Review recommendations will bring a step-change in the quality of technical education provision in England.
Reform to technical education is a key priority for Gatsby and its success is predicated on a fundamental shift in the public’s perception of and attitude towards technician jobs. Therefore, we undertake work to raise the profile of technicians and promote greater recognition of the importance of their contributions to modern society.
A report released today, commissioned by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, has said that while reforms are underway to improve the delivery and provision of apprenticeships in England, much greater support for off-the-job training is needed to ensure apprenticeships equip young people with the tools to thrive in the 21st century workplace.
In ‘Taking training seriously: lessons from an international comparison of off-the-job training for apprenticeships in England’, author Simon Field, compared apprenticeship programmes in England, with those in other countries where apprenticeships are a critical element of the education system. He found that apprenticeship programmes often cited as world-class – such as those in
Read Article
Gatsby has published Good Career Guidance: Reaching the Gatsby Benchmarks, a handbook for schools containing information to help schools on their journey towards implementing the Benchmarks. A hardcopy has been sent to every maintained secondary school in England.
The government have recently adopted the Benchmarks as the heart of their Careers Strategy and accompanying Statutory Guidance and stipulated that all secondary schools will be expected to reach the standards of the Benchmarks by 2020. The handbook introduces the Benchmarks and presents a series of case studies and suggested approaches to reaching them, developed by the broad range of schools tha
Read Article
