Benchmark 2: Learning From Career and Labour Market

All students and parents should have access to high-quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities.

What is Career and Labour Market Information?

Labour Market Information (LMI) is information about what is happening in a labour market. LMI tends to focus on the industries that are growing and declining, the types and levels of jobs are increasing and decreasing and what supply of labour is available – numbers, skill and qualification levels.

Examples of Labour Market Information include:

  • skills, career pathways and progression routes

  • job applications and interviews

  • educational institutions, courses, qualifications, entry requirements and costs

  • employment sectors, employers, jobs, salaries and employment trends

  • jobs, training and apprenticeships

  • job demands and working life

  • financial planning 

What does this mean in practice?

This means that:

  • students are taught how to find and process information from year 7 onwards. They use objective information about the local and national labour market to make decisions about next steps

  • students have access to accurate and up-to-date information, which plays a key role in raising aspirations and promoting social mobility. This information challenges stereotypes with regional and national LMI and support from Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs)

  • appropriately trained staff is on hand to offer students practical help with researching opportunities and using the resources. The staff should use different platforms to reach students and their parents and provide personal advice and guidance, particularly to vulnerable learners

  • schools should arrange for students to gain information first-hand through encounters with employers and experiences of workplaces. Staff organise follow-up activities in the classroom to help students to personalise and maximise the benefits of these encounters

  • information is adapted to meet the needs of different learners. Special schools, for example, make good use of Makaton signs and symbols to support understanding of careers and employability for students with severe learning and communication difficulties

  • the careers information area is attractive, highly visible and contains carefully selected resources that meet the needs of different groups. The area should be properly maintained, well used and include a mix of printed information, online resources and in-house information to help students understand the range of different opportunities

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