Gatsby Benchmarks for Independent Training Providers

From September 2025, Independent Training Providers (ITPs) in England, delivering programmes to young people aged 16–18 are expected to follow the Gatsby Benchmarks. This represents a significant step forward in ensuring that vocational learners receive the same quality of careers education and guidance as their peers in mainstream education.

Developed by the Gatsby Foundation, the eight Gatsby Benchmarks provide a framework for delivering effective careers education and guidance. They've been the gold standard in schools since their introduction and have since expanded to colleges. Now, the Department for Education (DfE) has extended these expectations to ITPs—a move that promises to improve access to high-quality careers guidance for all learners, regardless of their educational pathway.

For TVET trainers and ITP leaders, understanding and implementing these benchmarks is no longer optional; it's becoming an expectation that will shape how you support your learners' future prospects.

What Are the Gatsby Benchmarks?

The Gatsby Benchmarks were first developed in 2014 by the Gatsby Foundation as a research-backed framework for careers education. They were initially adopted across schools and later extended to colleges in 2018. Now, in 2025, they're being rolled out more formally to Independent Training Providers.

The framework consists of eight interconnected benchmarks, each representing a key element of effective careers education:

The Eight Gatsby Benchmarks

A stable careers programme — Every organisation should have a structured, well-resourced careers programme led by a dedicated leader with appropriate training and support.
Learning from career and labour market information — All learners should be encouraged to access and reflect on information about careers and the labour market to make informed decisions.
Addressing the needs of each pupil — Careers education and guidance should be personalised, taking into account each individual's circumstances, aspirations, and needs.
Linking curriculum learning to careers — What learners study should connect to real-world careers and employment opportunities in their field.
Encounters with employers and employees — Young people should have meaningful contact with employers and professionals from a range of industries and occupations.
Experiences of workplaces — All learners should experience the workplace first-hand, whether through visits, placements, or simulations.
Encounters with further and higher education — Learners should understand progression routes and have opportunities to engage with universities and further education providers.
Personal guidance — Every learner should have access to one-to-one or small-group guidance conversations with a trained adviser.

Each benchmark has been refined and strengthened in recent years to better reflect the needs of today's learners, including greater emphasis on inclusivity, employer engagement, and labour market responsiveness.

What's Changing for Independent Training Providers from September 2025

If you're leading an ITP or managing careers provision, here's what you need to know about the recent policy update:

Expectation: ITPs delivering programmes to 16–18-year-olds are now expected to align their careers provision with the Gatsby Benchmarks. This formalises what has previously been guidance, moving towards a more standardised approach across the sector.

Voluntary, but Strongly Encouraged: The benchmarks remain voluntary; however, the Department for Education has signalled that this is the direction of travel. Providers who adopt the benchmarks early will demonstrate commitment to quality and may gain a competitive advantage in commissioning.

Self-Reporting and Accountability: The DfE expects ITPs to self-report progress against the benchmarks on a termly basis. Alongside this, holding the Matrix Standard—an independent quality assurance standard for careers education—is becoming increasingly important for demonstrating compliance and excellence.

What This Means Practically: You'll need to audit your current careers provision, identify gaps, and develop a plan to implement the benchmarks. This might involve appointing a dedicated careers leader (if you haven't already), restructuring how careers education is delivered, and building stronger links with employers and educational institutions.

How Each Benchmark Has Been Strengthened

Understanding what each benchmark now requires will help you implement them effectively. Here's what the strengthened benchmarks mean for your ITP:

Benchmark 1: A Stable Careers Programme

A stable careers programme is the foundation for all other benchmarks. The strengthened expectation now includes:

Board-approved strategy: Your careers programme should be embedded in your strategic plan and approved at governance level, ensuring long-term commitment and resources.
Dedicated leadership: Appoint a named careers leader (or careers leadership team) with time, training, and authority to drive the agenda.
Annual review: Your programme should be evaluated annually against the eight benchmarks, with evidence gathered and documented.
Budget and resources: Allocate dedicated funding for careers activities, not just staff time but also materials, guest speakers, and workplace visits.
Staff training: Ensure all staff—not just careers specialists—understand their role in careers education.

Benchmark 2: Learning from Career and Labour Market Information

Young people need access to good information about jobs, industries, and progression routes. The updated benchmark expects:

Labour market data integration: Use real-time labour market information (e.g., job growth forecasts, salary data, skills shortages) to inform curriculum and guidance conversations.
Digital tools and resources: Provide access to platforms like National Careers Service resources, LinkedIn Learning, and apprenticeship databases.
Regular updating: Refresh careers information at least termly to reflect changing opportunities.
Accessibility: Ensure information is available in multiple formats for learners with different needs, including SEND learners.

Benchmark 3: Addressing the Needs of Each Pupil

Personalisation is at the heart of effective careers education. The strengthened benchmark includes:

Needs assessment: Identify learners' starting points, aspirations, and barriers (e.g., family circumstances, SEND, confidence gaps).
Differentiated provision: Offer tailored support, from group workshops to one-to-one mentoring.
Carer and family engagement: Involve parents and carers in careers planning, recognising their influence on learner aspirations.
Tracking progress: Maintain records of each learner's engagement and progression in careers activities.

Benchmark 4: Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Learners need to see how their training programme connects to real jobs. Updated expectations:

Contextual teaching: Embed careers themes into your curriculum—for example, discussing how plumbing skills link to renewable energy careers or how digital skills span multiple industries.
Guest speakers and case studies: Invite professionals to explain how they use the knowledge and skills learners are developing.
Project-based learning: Include real-world projects that mirror workplace challenges.

Benchmark 5: Encounters with Employers and Employees

Meaningful employer engagement is now a cornerstone of the benchmarks. The strengthened version expects:

Regular encounters: All learners should have at least two substantive encounters with employers per academic year.
Quality over quantity: Encounters should be meaningful (not just a brief talk) and aligned to learners' interests and career pathways.
Diverse representation: Employers should represent a range of industries, sizes, and career levels to broaden learners' horizons.
Feedback loop: Gather learner feedback and use it to refine employer engagement activities.

Benchmark 6: Experiences of Workplaces

Learners need first-hand experience of how workplaces operate. Updated expectations:

Varied experiences: Include workplace visits, work experience placements, apprenticeships, and simulated workplace activities.
Reflection and debrief: Follow up workplace experiences with structured reflection to help learners extract maximum learning.
Accessibility: Ensure learners with SEND and other barriers have access to appropriate workplace experiences.
Diversity of sectors: Exposure should span multiple industries, not just the learner's primary pathway.

Benchmark 7: Encounters with Further and Higher Education

Learners should understand progression routes beyond their immediate programme. Strengthened expectations:

University and FE visits: Arrange visits to campus facilities and open days.
Information on routes: Explain degree apprenticeships, higher apprenticeships, and direct university entry.
Guest speakers: Invite university admissions tutors and FE leaders to speak about progression opportunities.
Online resources: Provide access to UCAS, student finance information, and university ranking tools.

Benchmark 8: Personal Guidance

One-to-one or small-group guidance conversations remain critical. The updated benchmark includes:

Trained advisers: Careers advisers should be trained in the Matrix Standard or equivalent qualification.
Accessible guidance: Learners should be able to access guidance easily—face-to-face, online, or hybrid.
Holistic approach: Guidance should address academic progress, wellbeing, and career aspirations.
Record-keeping: Maintain confidential records of guidance conversations and agreed actions.

Why This Matters for Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning

Implementing the Gatsby Benchmarks isn't just about ticking boxes—it has real benefits for both learners and your organisation.

Benefits for Learners

Research shows that young people who have access to high-quality careers education are more likely to make informed choices, secure meaningful employment, and progress in their careers. By embedding the Gatsby Benchmarks, you're ensuring that your learners have:

Clearer career direction: Exposure to diverse opportunities helps learners make confident, informed decisions aligned to their strengths and interests.
Greater employability: Direct contact with employers and workplace experience make learners more attractive to future employers and better prepared for work.
Improved resilience: Understanding multiple pathways reduces anxiety and helps learners adapt to changing labour market needs.
Better progression outcomes: Young people with good careers guidance are more likely to progress to further study, apprenticeships, or employment in their field.

Benefits for Your ITP

For your organisation, adopting the benchmarks offers competitive and quality advantages:

Stronger employer relationships: Formalising employer engagement creates partnerships that can benefit your provision, from curriculum co-design to learner placements.
Improved quality assurance: A structured careers programme demonstrates your commitment to learner outcomes and can support Ofsted inspection readiness.
Enhanced reputation: ITPs known for excellent careers guidance attract more learners and employer interest.
Better tracking of outcomes: The self-reporting mechanism helps you evidence the impact of your careers provision, supporting commissioning and funding discussions with the DfE.

As John Yarham, former Head of Policy at the Careers & Enterprise Company, notes: "Careers education is not a bolt-on; it's integral to quality vocational training. When done well, it transforms learner outcomes and strengthens the link between training and employment."

How to Get Started: Practical Steps for ITPs

Implementing the Gatsby Benchmarks doesn't happen overnight. Here's a practical roadmap:

1. Appoint and Train a Careers Leader

Assign a named individual (or leadership team) responsible for driving careers provision. This person should have:

Protected time to develop strategy and coordinate activities.
Access to training (e.g., Matrix Standard qualification or careers education courses).
Authority and budget to make decisions and allocate resources.

Action: Hold a senior leadership meeting this term to confirm your careers leader and agree on their job description and time allocation.

2. Map Your Current Provision Against the Benchmarks

Conduct an honest audit of where your provision currently sits against each of the eight benchmarks. Use the Compass+ tool (available from the Careers & Enterprise Company) to measure progress and identify gaps. This online platform guides you through each benchmark and helps you track development over time.

Action: Complete a baseline assessment using Compass+ by the end of this term. Document evidence for each benchmark, such as job descriptions, employer contact logs, curriculum mapping, and learner feedback.

3. Develop a Phased Implementation Plan

Don't try to implement all eight benchmarks at once. Prioritise based on your current strengths and gaps:

Benchmark 1 (stable programme) and Benchmark 8 (personal guidance) are foundational—prioritise these first.
Benchmarks 5 and 6 (employer encounters and workplace experiences) often require external relationships—start building these early.
Benchmark 4 (linking curriculum to careers) can be embedded gradually through curriculum meetings and staff training.

Action: Create a 12–24-month implementation timeline, with milestones and accountability assigned to named individuals.

4. Strengthen Employer Engagement

Employers are central to benchmarks 5 and 6. Build a deliberate employer engagement strategy:

Identify target employers: Map industries relevant to your programmes and identify key employers in your region.
Define the relationship: Clarify what you're asking employers to do (e.g., deliver a talk, host a visit, mentor a learner, contribute to curriculum design).
Create a contact plan: Assign staff to maintain relationships with key employers and log all interactions.
Evaluate impact: After each encounter, gather feedback from both employers and learners to understand what worked and what could be improved.

Action: By next month, identify and contact 5–10 key employers relevant to your programmes. Invite them to a meeting to discuss partnership opportunities.

5. Gather and Act on Learner Feedback

Learners are the best source of intelligence on what's working. Introduce regular feedback mechanisms:

End-of-activity feedback forms: After each employer encounter, visit, or guidance session, ask learners what they found valuable and what could improve.
Term-long surveys: Conduct surveys asking learners about their overall experience of careers education and guidance.
Focus groups: Hold small group discussions with learners to explore careers provision in depth.
Action cycles: Use feedback to refine your approach each term.

Action: Design a simple one-page feedback form for the next careers activity your ITP delivers. Commit to reading feedback and sharing findings with your careers leadership team.

6. Build Internal Capacity and Awareness

All staff have a role in careers education, not just careers specialists. Introduce staff training:

Induction: Ensure new staff understand your careers programme and their role.
Termly briefings: Keep all staff updated on careers initiatives and how to integrate careers into their teaching.
Subject-specific guidance: Work with curriculum teams to show how to contextualise careers in their subject areas.

Action: Schedule a whole-staff briefing this term on the Gatsby Benchmarks and your ITP's implementation plan.

Resources and Tools

To support your implementation, here are key resources:

Compass+ tool: Free online platform for self-assessment and planning (careersandenterprise.co.uk)
Gatsby Foundation: Benchmarks framework and research (gatsby.org.uk)
Matrix Standard: Quality assurance standard for careers education (thematrix.co.uk)
National Careers Service: Labour market information and resources (nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk)
Department for Education: ITP guidance and funding information (gov.uk/dfe)

Conclusion: Embedding Careers Education in Every Training Programme

By embedding the Gatsby Benchmarks, Independent Training Providers can ensure that every learner—whether in college or work-based learning—has access to careers education that opens real opportunities. The shift from September 2025 isn't a burden; it's a chance to elevate your provision, strengthen your relationships with employers, and ultimately, transform learner outcomes.

The evidence is clear: young people with access to structured, high-quality careers education make better choices, progress further, and build more resilient careers. Your investment in the Gatsby Benchmarks is an investment in your learners' futures.

Ready to get started?

Download our Gatsby Benchmarks Implementation Checklist to map your current provision, identify quick wins, and plan your phased rollout. The checklist includes:

Self-assessment template against all eight benchmarks
Action-planning worksheet
Employer engagement tracking template
Learner feedback form

Gatsby Benchmarks Implementation Checklist

Gatsby Benchmarks Implementation Checklist.docx

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FAQs

What are the Gatsby Benchmarks, and why are they essential for ITPs in 2025?
The Gatsby Benchmarks are an eight-point framework for delivering high-quality careers education. From September 2025, Independent Training Providers (ITPs) in England are expected to adopt them to ensure 16–18-year-old vocational learners receive robust careers guidance, aligning with standards in schools and colleges.

What changes are introduced for ITPs with the Gatsby Benchmarks in September 2025?
From September 2025, ITPs must align careers provision with the strengthened Gatsby Benchmarks, self-report progress termly, and pursue the Matrix Standard, with voluntary adoption strongly encouraged to enhance quality and competitiveness in commissioning.

How can ITPs effectively implement the Gatsby Benchmarks?
ITPs should appoint a trained careers leader, audit current provision using the Compass+ tool, create a phased 12–24-month implementation plan, strengthen employer partnerships, and collect learner feedback to refine careers education delivery.

What benefits do the Gatsby Benchmarks offer to ITPs and their learners?
Learners gain clearer career paths, improved employability, and better progression outcomes, while ITPs benefit from stronger employer ties, enhanced reputation, Ofsted readiness, and improved outcome tracking for funding and commissioning.

What resources support ITPs in meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks?
ITPs can use the Compass+ tool for self-assessment, Gatsby Foundation resources, the Matrix Standard for quality assurance, National Careers Service for labour market data, and DfE guidance, alongside implementation checklists for planning.