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 speciality 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, 16 Career Clusters link to 70+ more specific Career Pathways – each have their own knowledge and skills requirements. Students, parents, and educators can use Career Clusters to help focus education plans towards obtaining the necessary knowledge, competencies, and training for success in a particular career pathway. schools with a structure for organizing or restructuring curriculum offerings and focusing class make-up by a common theme such as interest. Career Clusters contain occupations in the same field of work that require similar skills. The current definition of a career cluster consists of a grouping of occupations and broad industries based on commonalties. (Contains a list of resources and acronyms.Freebase (2.27 / 39 votes) Rate this definition:Ĭareer Clusters provide students with a context for studying traditional academics and learning the skills specific to a career, and provide U.S. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 (2) Key Concepts: terms, definitions and benefits of the career cluster approach, to help partners become familiar with the States Career Cluster framework (3) Career Cluster Framework: graphic representation of the essential knowledge and skills, the 5 career and technical education areas at the secondary level, the 16 career clusters, and the 79 career pathways (4) Illinois' Career Cluster Model: visual example of the Health Science cluster and how different elements of the States Career Cluster Framework fit together in Illinois (5) Implementation: information useful to preparing partners to implement programs of study, including the six guiding principles and partner roles in the process (6) Acronyms: list for reference and ease of communication between multiple partners on programs, initiatives, and organizations and (7) Resources: links to tools, research, and national organizations related to Perkins IV, career development, career clusters, and other information specific to Illinois. The booklet is divided into seven sections: (1) Perkins IV: main themes of the Carl D. It is intended for individuals familiar with career clusters and programs of study and those beginning to learn about them. The booklet is an extension of the previous edition titled 'An Introduction to Illinois CTE Programs of Study' (2008), and provides a resource for partners to understand Illinois' Career Cluster Model as its own adaptation of the States Career Cluster Framework. This booklet provides information to multiple stakeholders on the implementation of career clusters in Illinois.

Career clusters definition