The Gatsby report sets out a framework for good career guidance to support schools in providing students with the best possible careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG). The report contains eight benchmarks, known as the Gatsby Benchmarks, which form part of the governments careers strategy, launched in December 2017. Gatsby Benchmark No 6 stipulates that:

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

Work Experience

Work experience serves multiple purposes, including providing experience of the world of work, employability skill development (including communication and inter-personal skills) and experience to help guide future career decision-making. It is known to be important in driving social mobility.

Global Pandemic

In 2020, most Year 10 (Y10) students who, in any other year, would have expected to undertake at least one week of in-person work experience were unable to secure placements due to COVID restrictions. This year, those students are in Year 11 (Y11) and there is another group of Y10 students who, again, will mostly not be able to secure in-person work experience placements. Many large corporations, which would have offered work experience placements are still operating remotely and many offices have closed altogether in favour of remote working.

Cambridgeshire Careers Drive Campaign

There are currently 8,765 Y10 students and 8,670 Y11 students in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. This means that a total of 17,435 work experience placements of one week each are required. Approximately 3,847 of all Y10 and Y11 are Pupil Premium students who might not have the networks or connections to secure work experience placements for themselves and will also be hardest hit by the impact on employment opportunities in the fallout from Covid.

The Cambridge 2030 Careers Drive campaign is appealing to all employers, particularly SMEs, to make a pledge to support young people to gain work experience. Form the Future will provide advice and support to any company that needs it, to set up a meaningful work experience programme. If it is not be possible for your company to offer a full-week of work experience, please pledge to provide as many days as you can or partner up with a supplier or contractor to make up a full week. There are a number of ways in which companies can get involved:

1. Offer one-week of meaningful, in-person, Work Experience at your company or organisation for Year 10 and Year 11 pupils, before July 2022.

2. Support a Careers Drive Passport in partnership with your suppliers and contractors to offer one-day experiences to make up a full week which a young person can redeem on dates set by you and your partners.

3. Donate through this Cambridgeshire Community Foundation Just Giving page to the Careers Drive Fund to support young people to secure Work Experience placements and to cover expenses e.g. travel costs and subsistence.

Donations to the Careers Drive Fund will be managed by Cambridgeshire Community Foundation.