TEACHERS

A GUIDE FOR TEACHERS

Contributing to CEIAG in school and in your subject areas

The world of work is changing at an increasingly fast rate and with this comes a greater demand on all of us to support young people in making a successful transition from education to employment. Helping students identify and choose career opportunities that are right for them isn’t a one person job!

We strive to ensure all our young people;

Are well equipped to make the transition into the world of work
Have develop skills employers are looking for to match the needs of our economy
Are able to access higher paid jobs and sustained employment
Have improved life chances
Are able to contribute to the growth of our economy

‘Careers isn’t a one- person job- it takes a whole village to educate a child’

The Gatsby Benchmarks

The government’s Careers Strategy, published in December 2017, and statutory guidance for school leaders and school staff, set out the plan for building a high-quality careers system that will help young people to achieve.

The eight Gatsby Benchmarks are based on the best national and international research and define all the elements of an excellent careers programme.

The Gatsby Benchmarks have now been put at the heart of the Careers Strategy for schools with an expectation that schools will be meeting them in full by the end of 2020. Smithills School achieved 100% in the Gatsby Benchmarks and continues to meet all 8 benchmarks.

WHY THE GATSBY BENCHMARKS ARE IMPORTANT

The Gatsby Benchmarks have a key role in:

raising young people’s aspirations and promoting access to all career pathways
enabling all young people to develop the skills and outlook they need to achieve career wellbeing, including adaptability and resilience
underpinning the Department for Education guidance to schools on meeting their statutory responsibility for careers guidance.

Programmes of study

If you need any support or further assistance when planning your programmes of study for 2019-20 to demonstrate how your subject area incorporates elements of the Gatsby Benchmarks please see Mrs Isaacs in careers.

Tracking students

Student involvement in CEIAG events and activities are tracked throughout all year groups. We are now able to provide CEIAG records for students to show what CEIAG they have received over the five years at Smithills.

Teachers are therefore requested to keep the CAREERS Team regularly informed of the following;

Names of students involved in CEIAG events or activities within your subject areas that meet any of the benchmarks
Date of the event/activity/visit
A brief description/explanation of how students have been involved in activities that meet any of the benchmarks and their impacts
Any available feedback from students/staff is also extremely valuable

The Importance of Labour Market Information ( LMI)

What is LMI? This stands for Labour Market Information. The resources below show data derived from the GM Economy regarding growth sectors in our area, skills that are both needed and prevalent in these sectors- and look at the expectation of both wages and opportunity among other points.

Why is this relevant? It is important that students are familiar with the local economy (LMI) as this encompasses what their future opportunities could look like and can help guide on which sector(s) they feel suits them when thinking of both pre and post 16 course options and also future careers.

How can I use this? We would ask that teachers schedule in time within their subject areas to use LMI resources available. Those below can provide valuable insight to pupils and can act as a basis for further discussions in their areas (sectors) of interest. There are 15 in total to look out for. please see the links below.

Learning from Labour Market Information ( LMI)

Students can learn a great deal from labour market information.

The Baker Clause

The Baker Clause is a statutory requirement in England that mandates state-funded secondary schools and colleges to provide pupils with information about technical education and apprenticeships. Named after former Education Secretary Lord Baker, it was introduced through the Technical and Further Education Act 2017 and came into force in January 2018. Key Requirements Student Access: Schools must allow colleges and training providers to speak to all students in Years 8 to 13 about non-academic routes. Mandatory Encounters: Since January 2023, schools must provide at least six encounters with technical education or apprenticeship providers throughout a student's secondary education (two in Years 8/9, two in Years 10/11, and two in Years 12/13). Policy Statement: Every school must publish a Provider Access Policy Statement on its website, outlining how providers can request access and the grounds for granting or refusing these requests. Impartiality: Schools must act neutrally and not show bias toward academic routes (like A-levels) over technical options (like T Levels or apprenticeships). Compliance and Enforcement Ofsted Oversight: Ofsted inspectors now report on whether schools are meeting these requirements, and failure to comply can negatively impact a school's overall inspection grade. Intervention: For 2026, the Department for Education (DfE) has reinforced monitoring with annual national-level compliance checks conducted via the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC). Sanctions: Schools that persistently fail to comply face a "ladder of support and intervention," which can escalate to legal directions from the Secretary of State or the loss of government career funding. Why It Exists The clause was designed to address "skills shortages" and ensure students are aware of all available career paths, including: Apprenticeships (including degree apprenticeships), T Levels (technical qualifications), Vocational training and college courses.