About North East Ambition

Ensuring all North East schools achieve the Good Careers Guidance Benchmarks by 2024

What is our goal?

Our goal is for all North East schools and colleges to be achieving the Good Career Guidance Benchmarks by 2024. By doing this, every young person should be able to identify routes to a successful working life, make more informed decisions about their future and be better prepared for the workplace. 

Ensuring young people have the skills required for the future North East workforce is fundamental to our economic growth, underpinning our aim of driving an uplift of 100,000 more and better jobs by 2024.

The North East Ambition Programme is part-funded by the European Social Fund.

What are the benchmarks?

Through six international visits, analysis of good practice in English schools and a comprehensive review of current literature, a set of eight benchmarks covering different dimensions of good career guidance was identified.

  1. A stable careers programmeEvery school and college should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by pupils, parents, teachers, governors and employers.

  2. Learning from career and labour market informationEvery pupil and their parents, should have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities.

  3. Addressing the needs of each pupilPupils have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each pupil. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.

  4. Linking curriculum learning to careersAll teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of careers.

  1. Encounters with employers and employeesEvery pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace.


  2. Experiences of workplacesEvery pupil should have first-hand experience of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing, and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks.
  3. Encounters with further and higher educationAll pupils should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace.


  4. Personal guidanceEvery pupil should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a careers adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level.

What resources are available?

We have worked closely with Careers Leaders over the region to produce a number of tools and guides. These resources will assist educators in working towards achieving all eight of the benchmarks within their schools.

The Benchmarks

The Benchmarks

Our audit tool allows schools to assess their careers provision and their starting position against the Gatsby Benchmark Framework. Using aggregated data, this tool allows you to map your progress against regional averages and to monitor your progress over time.

Use our audit tool

Information and resources

Access North East-focused Labour Market Information videos and adaptable resources that you can use to enhance your careers programme.

Plan your lessons
The Benchmarks
The Benchmarks

Enterprise advisers network

Gain access to a network of senior business leaders committed to supporting your school/colleges careers provision. Our North East LEP Enterprise Coordinators are available to help match you with the most suitable leader for your organisation.

Match with an adviser

Careers provision directory

We have compiled a directory of useful links to organisations, information, products and programmes that schools and employers can use to achieve their North East Ambition. This is searchable by benchmark and key stage.

Browse the directory
The Benchmarks
advisor Network

Education Challenge

Our Education Challenge aims to work with partners to support school leaders, teachers and governors to reduce the gap between our best and lowest performing schools and for students to have the opportunity to be educated in good or outstanding schools.

Find out more