Schools will have to arrange a week of work experience 鈥渁ctivities鈥 for pupils in years 7 to 9 and at least one placement in years 10 to 11 under new careers guidance published by the government. Leaders have been told to begin 鈥減lanning and, where able, reforming their work experience programmes鈥 from September to meet the new duty. It marks another reform school leaders will have to implement in the next academic year, alongside any changes from the curriculum review and new Ofsted inspections. Labour committed before the election to require two weeks of work experience. Now it has updated to set out how it will work. The document states the two weeks should be broken down into one week鈥檚 worth of 鈥渁ctivities鈥 in years 7 to 9 and a week鈥檚 worth of placement in years 10 to 11. Activities in years 7 to 9 should consist of 鈥渕ultiple, varied and meaningful employer-led activities鈥, for example, visits involving employer-set tasks, work-shadowing or talks in workplaces. Placements in years 10 to 11 should allow pupils to 鈥渆xperience a real working environment鈥. But pupils will be able to take their days with more than one employer, and spread their placement time across a number of days or weeks at any point in the two years. The DfE said it will set out implementation timelines, who is responsible and accountable for delivery, the support available nationally and delivery plans 鈥渋n due course鈥. Schools will also have to follow The Careers and Enterprise Company has also published The previous benchmarks became statutory for schools in 2018. Here鈥檚 what has changed鈥 Governors must 鈥榰nderstand鈥 careers education Benchmark 1: A stable careers programme Governors should now 鈥渦nderstand鈥 and back their school鈥檚 careers education programme and guidance. Careers programmes will also need to be 鈥渢ailored to the needs of pupils, sequenced appropriately, underpinned by learning outcomes and linked to the whole-school development plan鈥. Give information in 鈥榚ach key stage鈥 Benchmark 2: Learning from career and labour market information Where previous guidance stated pupils should access and use information about career paths 鈥渂y the age of 14鈥, the update states this should happen 鈥渄uring each key stage鈥. 鈥楥hallenge misconceptions鈥 Benchmark 3: Addressing the needs of each young person Careers programmes should now seek to 鈥渃hallenge misconceptions鈥, and schools will be required to keep systematic records of the 鈥減articipation of pupils in all aspects of their careers programme鈥. Schools will also have to use 鈥渟ustained and longer-term destination data as part of their evaluation process and use alumni to support their careers programme鈥. All teachers should talk about career paths Benchmark 4: Linking curriculum learning to careers Previous benchmarks stated that 鈥淪TEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of their subjects for a wide range of future career paths鈥. The new benchmarks widen this responsibility out to all subject teachers. The new guidance also states that 鈥渆very year, in every subject, every pupil should have opportunities to learn how the knowledge and skills developed in that subject helps people to gain entry to, and be more effective workers within, a wide range of careers. 鈥淐areers should form part of the school鈥檚 ongoing staff development programme for teachers and all staff who support pupils.鈥 Employers 鈥榦f different sizes and specialisms鈥 Benchmark 5: Encounters with employers and employees This states still that 鈥渆very year, from the age of 11, pupils should participate in at least one meaningful encounter with an employer.鈥. But Gatsby鈥檚 guidance for schools has been updated to state that young people 鈥渟hould encounter employers of different sizes and specialisms, including the self-employed, that reflect trends in the labour market, regionally and nationally鈥. The updated benchmark also adds pupils鈥 鈥渙wn part-time employment where it exists鈥 to the 鈥渞ange of enrichment opportunities鈥 schools can offer. More experiences of workplaces Benchmark 6: Experiences of workplaces The previous benchmark stated that by age 16, pupils should have had 鈥渁t least one鈥 experience of a workplace, additional to any part-time job. It also stated they should have 鈥渙ne further such experience鈥 by the age of 18. The new guidance states by age 16, every pupil 鈥渟hould have had meaningful experiences of workplaces鈥. By 18, every pupil should have had 鈥渁t least one further meaningful experience鈥. The updated benchmarks also include a definition of 鈥渕eaningful鈥. Encounters with independent training providers Benchmark 7: Encounters with further and higher education Independent training providers have been added to the list of providers with which pupils should have engaged with by age 16, while 鈥渁pprenticeship providers鈥 have been removed. Provide 鈥榤eetings鈥 and information about support Benchmark 8: Personal guidance This benchmark has been updated to state that every pupil should have opportunities for guidance 鈥渕eetings鈥, rather than 鈥渋nterviews鈥. Information about personal guidance support, and how to access it, should be 鈥渃ommunicated to pupils and parents and carers鈥, including through the school website.
STEM Teaching and careers 9 May 2025 Have a look at the Workplace safaris that GMCA have been doing for years Experiences of the workplace don’t have to be like the old fashioned ‘work experience’ weeks. Students see a range of careers and employers meet their future staff