Introducing the Gatsby Benchmarks - How can universities help?

The Gatsby benchmarks herald an exciting time for young peoples careers options, with Careers Leaders enlisting support for students from a wealth of organisations. The most notable benchmark regarding university engagement is number 7, “Encounters with further and higher education”. However, universities can support in many more ways. I have included examples below.

University outreach departments will deliver a variety of presentations and workshops which look at study skills, writing a personal statement for UCAS (that can also be used for jobs), personal finance and budgeting etc. Staff also regularly take part in mock interviews either on site or at the university. Bringing in a variety of universities and businesses can help to create a stable careers programme.

Many schools are now hosting career’s fairs, which is a great way to introduce business and universities to students and offer them individual advice on how to reach their own personal goals. Many universities are now attending fairs for younger students, so that personal advice is given before GCSE options are chosen, which could affect courses they could apply for a few years later.

Does your student love studying and researching and wonders what would that be like to be a full time job? Why not ask your local university if they offer work experience opportunities to shadow an academic researching and delivering a lecture?

There are a variety of different schemes that universities run which can offer personal guidance. Some may start when students pick GCSE’s and run throughout until they leave college with reflective journals that can be used as evidence of completion.

The easiest way to arrange all the above, or taster sessions which can be linked to careers (Gatsby 2), campus tours or to find a university can who support you is to contact their outreach department via email, phone or twitter (as well as UniTasterDays of course).

We liaise with all areas of the university from academics for taster events and talks, the library for research/EPQ sessions as well as outreach and recruitment staff coming out to schools to deliver talks and Information, Advice and Guidance. With so much support available, contact as many universities as you can. Working collaboratively with multiple institutions can guarantee you build a high-quality career guidance structure, which meets all of the Gatsby benchmarks.