U.S.Career Clusters are broad occupational groupings based on a set of common knowledge and skills required for a group of careers.Ĭareer Pathways are a sub-grouping of careers used as an organizing tool for curriculum design and instruction.

Career Voyager Videos by Career Cluster.

Look up Career Clusters and Pathways to see Education Requirements and Wages.

AchieveTexas: Texas Career Clusters Initiative.

Background and Structure of Career Clusters.

Careerscope Assessment for Career Clusters.

The vocational education field has historically responded to the needs of the national economy by preparing individuals for in-demand jobs. The creation of curricular models within the context of broad career clusters ensures the alignment of academic and technical instructional strategies with the requirements of post-secondary education and the expectations of employers in increasingly academic and technologically demanding careers. The goal was to create curricular frameworks in broad career clusters, designed to prepare students to transition successfully from high school to post-secondary education and employment in a career area. The purpose of the Initiative was to establish linkages among State educational agencies, secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, employers, industry groups, other stakeholders and Federal agencies. Department of Education, the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), the National School-to-Work Office (NSTWO) and the National Skill Standards Board (NSSB).

as the Building Linkages Initiative and was a collaborative effort between the U.S. The Career Cluster initiative began in 1996 in the U.S. A concept related to Career Clusters, Small Learning Community is primarily concerned with restructuring secondary schools, in many cases using a career clusters framework.

The nonprofit Vocational Research Institute adapted an interest and aptitude assessment, Careerscope, to help students choose curriculum and careers for which they have both interest and aptitude - at the cluster, pathway and career specialty levels. DOE Career Clusters framework is useful for connecting students with courses of study and careers via Career Assessments, and allows them to learn general, more transferable skills at the cluster level, with more specific skills and knowledge acquired at the career pathways and specialty levels. The structure has evolved over time and may vary by state.

Within the 70+ career pathways, 1800 Career Specialties are defined.

Department of Education model, 17 Career Clusters link to 70+ more specific Career Pathways – each have their own knowledge and skills requirements. schools with a structure for organizing or restructuring curriculum offerings and focusing class make-up by a common theme such as interest. Career Clusters provide students with a context for studying traditional academics and learning the skills specific to a career, and provide U.S.

Career clusters definition