In a time where artificial intelligence (AI) is changing industries at breakneck speed, are we adequately preparing our students for the future of work? The recent updates to the Gatsby Benchmarks, while commendable, have overlooked a critical element: the integration of AI in careers advice and guidance. As a result, there are missed AI opportunities in the updated Gatsby Benchmarks.
As a veteran Careers Consultant with nearly two decades of experience, I’ve witnessed the progression of career guidance firsthand. The latest update to the Gatsby Benchmarks brings welcome changes, such as the shift from the phrase “Guidance Interview” to “Guidance Meeting”, increased parental involvement, and a stronger focus on learning outcomes. These improvements reflect a more collaborative and student-centred approach to careers education.
However, a glaring omission remains. The Future of Jobs Report 2025 reveals that half of employers are planning major business transformations centred around AI, with two-thirds actively seeking talent with specialised AI skills to drive these changes. Moreover, 40% of employers anticipate reducing their workforce where AI can automate tasks, signalling a profound shift in the labour market. In response to this disruption, 77% of employers have identified upskilling as their top strategy, aiming to prepare employees to work effectively alongside AI by 2030. Yet, the Gatsby Benchmarks remain surprisingly silent on this crucial aspect of future employability.
This article critically examines the positive changes in the updated Gatsby Benchmarks and the missed opportunities for AI integration. I’ll explore AI literacy, ethics, career guidance tools, preparation for an AI-driven workplace and more. I aim to spark a meaningful dialogue among careers professionals, policymakers, and educators about how we can better equip our students for the AI-driven careers landscape.
I invite you to consider the implications for your practice and the future of careers guidance in the UK. The changing workplace demands that we, as careers professionals, stay ahead of the changes and trends. Let’s explore how we can rise to this challenge and ensure our guidance remains relevant and impactful in the age of AI.
Key Takeaways (TL;DR)
- The updated Gatsby Benchmarks bring positive changes, such as adding to the standard better employer engagement, increased parental involvement, more substantial inclusion efforts, and improved terminology.
- AI is a significant force shaping the job market. Yet, the Gatsby Benchmarks fail to address AI literacy, ethics, and the role of AI in career guidance.
- AI literacy should be a core part of Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG), equipping students to evaluate AI systems, recognise biases, and leverage AI in their careers.
- AI ethics must be included in CEIAG, ensuring students understand the implications of AI in hiring, decision-making, and workplace dynamics.
- AI-powered career tools and labour market insights must be included in career guidance. The Gatsby Benchmarks remain silent on how careers professionals can and should use AI-driven tools and insights.
- Preparing students for an AI-driven workplace is critical. Yet, the Gatsby Benchmarks miss the opportunity to align CEIAG with AI’s growing influence in industries.
- Careers professionals, policymakers, and educators must act now to integrate AI awareness, tools, and ethics into CEIAG, ensuring students are ready for the future of work.
Table of Contents
Positive Changes in the Updated Gatsby Benchmarks
The latest update to the Gatsby Benchmarks, released on 18 November 2024, brings several noteworthy improvements to the framework.
Terminology Change From “Guidance Interview” to “Guidance Meeting”
As highlighted above, a significant update is the shift in terminology from “Guidance Interview” to “Guidance Meeting.” This is a welcome change in terminology that was long overdue. The shift in language conveys a more collaborative approach to career discussions. It also removes confusion regarding the purpose of the meeting. Further, it encourages a two-way dialogue between students and career professionals, fostering a more engaging and student-centred experience.
Increased Focus on Parental and Carer Involvement
Another positive change is the increased focus on parental and carer involvement. The updated Gatsby Benchmarks recognise parents’ crucial role in shaping their children’s career decisions. As a result, the Gatsby Benchmarks expect schools and colleges to share information with parents, support them, and incorporate parental engagement into their strategic planning. I have met many careers professionals over the years who felt it was appropriate to sideline or exclude parents and carers. The new guidance will help to change the attitudes and ethical practices of careers professionals. I wholeheartedly welcome that.
Stronger Emphasis on Inclusion
The revisions also place a stronger emphasis on inclusion and impact for each student. This change acknowledges the diverse needs of young people. It ensures that career guidance is tailored to individual circumstances and aspirations. I especially appreciate its emphasis on support for vulnerable or disadvantaged young people and those with SEND. In my opinion, this emphasis was long overdue.
Meaningful and Varied Encounters with Employers
Furthermore, the updated benchmarks stress the importance of meaningful and varied encounters with employers and learning providers. This enhancement aims to give students a more comprehensive understanding of work and the range of educational pathways available. Some of you will be aware that young people who engage in at least four meaningful interactions with employers are 86% more likely to avoid unemployment or being out of education or training and may see their career earnings increase by up to 22%.
Strategic Alignment of Careers Guidance with the Overall Vision of Education Providers
Lastly, the new framework emphasises the strategic alignment of careers guidance with the overall vision of schools and colleges. This change involves headteachers, governors, and senior leaders more deeply in the career guidance process, elevating its importance within the educational ecosystem.
These positive changes demonstrate that the Gatsby Benchmarks continue to develop, striving to provide the most effective framework for career guidance in a rapidly changing workplace.
However, as we will discuss throughout the rest of this article, the Gatsby Benchmarks and the 122-page report called “Good Career Guidance: The Next 10 Years” failed to address the need to prepare students for the AI-driven workplace. It also missed the opportunity to discuss how careers professionals can utilise Artificial Intelligence in their practice while also considering the safeguards practitioners should put in place when using AI tools.
AI Literacy: Missed AI Opportunities in the Updated Gatsby Benchmarks
In the future of work, AI literacy will be as crucial as digital literacy was a decade ago. Yet, the updated Gatsby Benchmarks and “Good Career Guidance: The Next 10 Years” fail to address this vital skill set.
AI literacy goes beyond simply understanding what AI is. It involves the ability to critically evaluate AI systems, recognise their limitations, and leverage their potential in various career contexts.
The absence of AI literacy in the Gatsby Benchmarks creates a significant gap in preparing students for future careers. Without this knowledge, young people may be disadvantaged in an increasingly AI-driven job market.
AI Ethics: Missed AI Opportunities in the Updated Gatsby Benchmarks
The lack of focus on AI ethics within the updated Gatsby Benchmarks is equally concerning. As AI technologies play an increasingly prominent role in decision-making across industries, understanding the ethical implications of AI is essential. This includes recognising potential biases in AI algorithms, understanding data privacy concerns, and considering the societal impact of AI implementation.
By not addressing AI ethics, the Gatsby Benchmarks miss an opportunity to equip students with the critical thinking skills to navigate complex ethical dilemmas in their future careers. This oversight could mean that students are not ready for the ethical challenges they may face in AI-integrated workplaces.
Incorporating AI literacy and ethics into the Gatsby Benchmarks would better prepare students for future careers and foster a more responsible and informed approach to AI adoption across industries.
AI in Career Guidance Tools and Labour Market Information
The updated Gatsby Benchmarks and “Good Career Guidance: The Next 10 Years” report miss crucial opportunities to address artificial intelligence’s potential in career guidance tools and labour market information.
Modern AI-powered tools like Morrisby’s CourseNav demonstrate what’s possible when technology enhances career guidance. Morrisby’s CourseNav and similar platforms use machine learning to analyse student skills, interests, and labour market trends, generating personalised recommendations. Yet the Gatsby Benchmarks remain silent on adopting such innovations in schools, colleges and careers guidance services.
More troubling is the framework’s failure to encourage the use of AI for real-time labour market insights. Previous systems rely on static data, while AI could provide dynamic predictions about emerging roles and declining occupations.
The Gatsby Benchmarks also neglect AI’s potential to bridge the skills gap. Adaptive learning platforms could identify individual student weaknesses and recommend targeted training programs. Without this focus, we risk preparing students for yesterday’s job market rather than tomorrow’s.
By ignoring these technological advancements, the Gatsby framework risks becoming outdated at a time when 90% of large UK private sector businesses have incorporated AI into their recruitment processes and 68% use at least one AI technology within their operations (Source: StandOut CV) and Social Shepherd).
Preparing for an AI-driven Workplace: Missed AI Opportunities
The updated Gatsby Benchmarks and “Good Career Guidance: The Next 10 Years” report fail to adequately address the crucial need to prepare students for an increasingly AI-driven workplace. This oversight leaves a significant gap in emphasis on the urgent need to equip young people (through careers education) with the skills and experiences necessary for future careers.
The Education Hub on GOV.UK underscores the urgency of addressing these issues. According to The Education Hub, AI affects jobs in every industry, emphasising the need for workers to understand and use AI tools while also developing skills like creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, and emotional intelligence. The government’s focus on closing skills gaps, preparing for change, and boosting AI education highlights the growing importance of AI in the job market.
On 13 January 2025 the Prime Minister set out the UK goverment’s blueprint to turbocharge AI, recognising the need to embrace AI to increase growth and improve living standards. This will innevedably accelerate the adoption of AI across UK industries even further.
One of the most glaring omissions in the Gatsby Benchmarks is the lack of focus on AI-human collaboration skills. As AI becomes more common in the workplace, the ability to work alongside and effectively utilise AI tools is becoming increasingly important. However, the Gatsby Benchmarks do not explicitly address this skill set.
A great real-world example of effective AI-human collaboration can be seen at Ealing Council, where I work. Over 100 social workers have been using an AI tool called Magic Notes, powered by Beam, to streamline their administrative tasks. Since its introduction, it has reduced admin by 44%, freeing up valuable time for staff to focus on supporting service users. Recognising its impact, the UK government showcased this initiative on its official Instagram account as an example of AI enhancing public services. On 4 February 2025, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed Ealing Council staff to 10 Downing Street to discuss AI’s role in the UK and how it has transformed adult social care in the borough.
As we move further into an AI-driven future, career guidance frameworks must evolve to reflect these changes and equip students with the skills and experiences they need to thrive in tomorrow’s workplace.
AI-focused Workplace and Learning Experiences: Missed AI Opportunities
Furthermore, the absence of AI-focused workplace experiences in the Gatsby Benchmarks is concerning. While the framework emphasises the importance of workplace encounters, it fails to specifically highlight the need for exposure to AI-driven environments. This oversight means students may miss out on valuable insights into how AI reshapes work processes and job roles across different sectors.
Recent trends in AI adoption underscore the importance of these experiences. Morrisby says European countries like Finland and Norway have already incorporated AI into national career support services. Exposure to AI in workplace settings is becoming increasingly crucial for career readiness.
AI’s Impact on Future Careers: Missed AI Opportunities in the Gatsby Benchmarks
The rapid advancement of AI technology is reshaping the job market, creating challenges and opportunities for future careers. However, the updated Gatsby Benchmarks and “Good Career Guidance: The Next 10 Years” report doesn’t adequately address this critical aspect of career guidance.
We Need to Prepare Students for AI’s impact on Jobs
One significant oversight is the insufficient attention to AI’s impact on job displacement. While the benchmarks emphasise the importance of labour market information, they don’t specifically highlight the need to prepare students for the potential reduction and disappearance of certain careers and job losses due to AI automation. This oversight is particularly worrying because, according to reports by Goldman Sachs and PwC:
- AI could assist or replace up to a quarter of work tasks in the US and Europe by 2030.
- By the mid-2030s, as many as 30% of jobs may be subject to automation.
(Source: Nexford University).
AI is already impacting the job market significantly in the following ways:
- 14% of workers have experienced job displacement due to AI (Source: SEO.AI)
- By 2030, at least 14% of employees globally may need to change careers due to AI advancements (Source: Nexford University).
- 80% of C-suite executives believe AI will kickstart significant changes in how work gets done (World Economic Forum).
These statistics underscore the need for career guidance frameworks to adapt quickly.
We Need to Address the Potential for AI-driven Entrepreneurship
Additionally, the Gatsby Benchmarks miss an opportunity to address the potential for AI-driven entrepreneurship. As AI continues to create new business opportunities and transform existing industries, students should be encouraged to explore innovative career paths that leverage AI technologies. However, the current framework does not explicitly promote this forward-thinking career exploration.
Addressing AI-Driven Changes in Career Guidance Frameworks
The Career Development Institute (CDI) has welcomed the revisions to the Gatsby Benchmarks, recognising the growing focus on career development as an enabler for young people’s work and life aspirations. I strongly agree with the CDI in this regard. However, these revisions still don’t fully address the AI-driven changes in the job market. Career guidance frameworks must reflect these changes and equip students with the skills and knowledge to navigate the AI-transformed job market.
Continuous Learning and Adaptation: Missed AI Opportunities
The need for continuous learning and adaptation in light of AI advancements is increasingly apparent. However, the Gatsby Benchmarks lack explicit focus on this crucial aspect of career development.
The McKinsey Global Institute estimates that AI could generate 20 million to 50 million new jobs worldwide by 2030. Other research suggests this number could be even higher, with projections indicating AI might create approximately 97 million new roles globally (Source: Edison & Black). This highlights the urgent need for career guidance frameworks to emphasise AI-related learning and skill adaptation. The Gatsby Benchmarks, however, do not adequately stress the importance of AI-related learning to keep pace with rapid AI advancements in various careers.
Conclusion: Missed AI Opportunities in the Updated Gatsby Benchmarks
The Gatsby Benchmarks have undoubtedly made positive strides in improving career guidance, which I greatly respect. The shift towards more collaborative approaches, increased parental involvement, and greater emphasis on strategic alignment are highly commendable changes.
However, the framework fails to address the transformative impact of AI on future careers. From AI literacy and ethics to integrating AI-powered tools in career guidance, the updated Gatsby Benchmarks and “Good Career Guidance” report miss crucial opportunities to prepare students for an AI-driven workplace.
As we’ve seen, AI and other technologies are reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace. By not adequately addressing these changes, the Gatsby Benchmarks risk leaving students underprepared for the realities of the 2025 job market and beyond.
To truly serve the needs of students and align with the future of work, the Gatsby Benchmarks must develop further. They must incorporate AI literacy, ethics, and awareness across all aspects of career guidance.
As career professionals, educators, and policymakers, we have a responsibility to ensure that our career guidance frameworks keep pace with technological advancements. Only by doing so can we prepare our students with the skills, knowledge, and flexibility required to succeed in a future shaped by AI.
The challenge is clear: we must update the Gatsby Benchmarks further to reflect the realities of an AI-driven world. The future of our students’ careers depends on it. What specific changes would you recommend to the Gatsby Benchmarks to better prepare students for an AI-enhanced future of work?
