Gatsby Benchmarks
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Linking curriculum
learning with careers
What essential skills are needed for the world of work and how can you nurture
these within your students? Tom Ravenscroft, founder and CEO of Enabling
Enterprise, provides five key steps to help you achieve Gatsby Benchmark 4.
TOM RAVENSCROFT
FOUNDER & CEO, ENABLING ENTERPRISE
eamwork, leadership, self-management and
communication. This set of essential skills matters in
the classroom and way beyond – in daily life,
employment and all the way into the boardroom. For
years, the Confederation of British Industry has reiterated the need
to build these skills – for work and life – while recent research
from The Sutton Trust revealed that 97% of teachers thought these
skills were at least as important as academic outcomes for their
students’ future success.
While these skills are recognised to be essential, the challenge
has always been how to enable students to develop them in a
way that is robust and effective. How can educators ensure we
are as ambitious in building these skills as we are in the academic
outcomes we seek?
There is a growing number of schools across the country which
are applying the same thoughtfulness and commitment to building
these skills as they commit to the skills we have always been
comfortable building within the classroom: numeracy
and literacy. In so doing, they are also helping to
achieve the Gatsby Benchmarks – and, above
all, Benchmark 4 of linking curriculum
learning with careers – because these
skills provide that vital connection.
T
STEP 1:
Agree the core skills
Start by clarifying which skills are essential
for the world of work, and making them as
tangible as possible. Avoid the trap of
confusing character traits with skills. Our
350 Skills Builder Schools consistently
focus on eight skills: teamwork;
leadership; problem solving;
creativity; listening; presenting;
aiming high; and staying positive.
This simple language can be
understood by students,
p a re n t s , t e a c h e r s a n d
employer partners alike.
“Skills for work cannot
be mastered in isolation; a successful
approach always includes engaging
with the wider world”
22 // EMPLOYABILITY