Encounters with Employers and Employees
Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills valued in the workplace. This should include a mix of employers of different sizes and from different sectors.
What Benchmark 5 means in practice
Students need meaningful interactions with real employers — not just a one-off careers day. Benchmark 5 requires breadth: different industries, employer sizes, and types of encounter across a student's school career.
What evidence is required
- Records of employer encounter events (speakers, visits, fairs)
- Evidence of diverse sectors and employer sizes represented
- Student participation rates per year group
- Employer feedback and impact records
Common activities that satisfy Benchmark 5
- Careers fairs with multiple employers
- Employer speaker assemblies and form time sessions
- Virtual employer Q&A sessions
- Industry visit days
- Employer-led workshops and mock interviews
How Chapter Schools tracks Benchmark 5
Chapter's Events module logs every employer encounter with student attendance, sector tags, and automatic Benchmark 5 mapping. Your provider CRM tracks your employer relationships so you can ensure sector diversity across the year.
Frequently asked questions
How many employer encounters does Gatsby Benchmark 5 require?
The Gatsby Benchmarks don't specify a minimum number, but the guidance recommends multiple meaningful encounters across a student's time at school — at least by Year 11 — from a mix of sectors and employer sizes. Quality matters more than quantity.
What counts as an employer encounter for Benchmark 5?
Encounters include: employer speaker visits (in-person or virtual), careers fairs, industry visits, workplace taster days, employer-led workshops, and job shadowing. Each encounter should give students genuine insight into work and what employers value.
Do virtual employer encounters count towards Gatsby Benchmark 5?
Yes. Since the pandemic, virtual encounters have been explicitly recognised as valid for Benchmark 5, provided they are meaningful and interactive — not just a recorded video. Live Q&A sessions, virtual tours, and video interviews all count.
Related Gatsby Benchmarks
Stop manually tracking Benchmark 5
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