The importance of careers education and meeting Gatsby Benchmarks

The UK faces a growing digital skills gap, with persistent inequalities in employment opportunities for young people from underrepresented backgrounds. Research shows that students from lower-income households, those with disabilities, and young women are less likely to see themselves in a tech career. CapGemini’s 2023 report Futureready education Empowering Secondary School Students with Digital Skills cites that just “37% of rural female students say they have the required digital skills for the workforce compared to 62% of their peers in urban areas.” At Apps for Good, we’re taking action to change this narrative.

One of the most effective ways to address this disparity is through industry engagement - bringing real-world professionals into the classroom to inspire and guide students. These interactions are crucial; young people need role models who can spark curiosity, motivate them, and help them see the endless possibilities for their future. Hearing that career paths aren’t always linear and that success is attainable for anyone with ambition is incredibly powerful.

Apps for Good’s courses can help schools meet Gatsby Benchmarks 4 and 5 as part of their careers education programmes. In England, schools and colleges are encouraged to follow all eight Gatsby Benchmarks, beginning with the appointment of a dedicated Careers Leader. Currently, 92% of schools are using the Gatsby Benchmarks to guide their careers programmes. This aligns closely with our vision at Apps for Good to empower young people to become the next generation of skilled technology employees, which is why we’ve incorporated these benchmarks into our course framework.

Gatsby Benchmark 4 focuses on linking curriculum learning to careers, with a particular emphasis on STEM. An example is provided: “By the age of 14, every pupil should have had the opportunity to learn how different STEM subjects help people enter and excel in a wide range of careers.” Industry engagement is embedded in our three courses, enabling schools to meet this benchmark. Through our courses, students have meaningful interactions with industry professionals, including live video call feedback on their app ideas. They then reflect on this feedback and use it to refine and develop their ideas further.

Gatsby Benchmark 5 specifies that every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes where “Every year, from the age of 11, pupils should participate in at least one meaningful encounter”. We can support meeting this in various ways; through a Career Session with an individual or panel of Industry Volunteers, for example, an industry engagement session as part of one of our courses or a student pitch opportunity during our annual Showcase. At times, we have arranged office tours or for Showcase Finalists to visit our Industry Partners workplaces which could involve activities such as ideation sessions, CV writing workshops or opportunities to learn more about the technology used in industry.

New for 2025, our Career Series also helps schools to enrich their career education goals. We’ve developed a library of short, on-demand videos, created in collaboration with industry professionals from leading companies like Spotify and Lego.

To give you a flavour, topics covered include creative career paths in tech, non-traditional career routes, and the importance of essential skills - highlighting why developing these during the school years is crucial to future job success. These ~30-minute, on-demand sessions give students the opportunity to learn from, and be inspired by, a diverse range of role models working within industry.