• School/College: Hewett Academy
• Topic: Year 7 Employer Led Stereotype Workshop
• Gatsby Benchmark(s): 3 and 5
10 employers from different local companies were invited in to be
judged by year 7 students! Students were asked to try and guess, from a
list of 20 job roles, what role they thought the employer in front of them held. Following lots of
discussion around what the employers looked like, their height, gender, what they were wearing etc.
the employers then ‘revealed’ their role and told the students a bit about what they did each day.
There were celebrations when they guessed correctly and lots of surprised gasps when they didn’t.
Employers then spent an hour talking in more detail to small groups about their role, company and
industry, opening up the conversation and giving students the chance to ask questions. The aim of
the session was for students challenge their perception of what someone who does a particular job
looks like. The school’s Careers Lead said: “We think it is really important for our student to challenge
career stereotypes as early as possible; our careers programme aims to help them to broaden their
horizons and know what is out there in the local labour market - this starts by introducing them to
employers and encouraging them not to discount any career path at this early stage.”