1 of 32

Career Clusters

Presented by:

Amanda Harmer, Woodstock

Natasha Schultz, Marengo

2 of 32

Vocabulary

  • Career Cluster – Grouping of occupations and industries
  • Career Pathway – narrower industry area within a Cluster, there are 2 or more for each Cluster
  • Program of Study – based on knowledge & skills needed for each Cluster and Pathway
  • Career/Occupation – employment goal

3 of 32

Why Career Clusters?

  • Groups occupations & industries by commonalities
  • Organizes academic & occupational knowledge & skills into a sequence to identify pathways from high school to post-secondary to work place
  • Provide a wider range of career options/knowledge for students
  • Connects academics to future goals to motivate students

4 of 32

  • Career planning is for ALL students
    • Our first question should be “Which Career Cluster are you interested in?”
      • Based on aptitudes and skills
      • Areas to develop within Cluster, then narrow to pathway
      • Provides opportunity to give a broad foundation of skills transferable to a variety of careers (narrow down Jr/Sr years)
    • NOT “Are you going to college?”
  • Post-Secondary training
    • Industry recognized certificate
    • Associate Degree
    • Bachelor Degree or more

5 of 32

Sixteen Career Clusters

  • Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
  • Architecture & Construction
  • Arts, A/V Technology & Communications
  • Business Management & Administration
  • Education & Training
  • Finance
  • Government & Public Administration
  • Health Science
  • Hospitality & Tourism
  • Human Services
  • Information Technology
  • Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
  • Manufacturing
  • Marketing
  • Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
  • Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

6 of 32

National Association of State Directors of Career

Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc)

http://www.careerclusters.org

7 of 32

How does your school use Career Clusters?

Woodstock Community Unit School

District 200 (D200)

8 of 32

D200 & Career Clusters

9th grade

Four-Year Planning Meetings (Oct.): student, parent, and school counselor meet to review graduation expectations, post-high school interests and goals, and aspects of high school that can assist the student in attaining those goals (i.e. extracurricular activities, National Honor Society, Cum Laude Graduation Status). Parents and school counselor assist the student as s/he completes a tentative Four-Year Plan of Study.

Frosh Career Planning Meetings(April): An exploration of the foundation concepts of Career Cruising.com, a comprehensive career and post-high school planning online resource, focusing on the career interest inventory, Matchmaker.

Scheduling: Identify a Career Cluster

9 of 32

10 of 32

11 of 32

D200 Career Development

10th grade

Sophomore Career Planning Meetings (March): Further exploration of careercruising.com, combining individual student interests (Matchmaker) with an individual skills assessment (My Skills). Students also learn about the different levels of education and training beyond high school and the types of careers at each level.

Scheduling: Identify a Pathway

12 of 32

D200 Career Development

11th grade

Junior Planning Meetings (Sept.): School Counselors explain individual student PLAN test results and assessment information including an explanation of the scores, the student’s current level of college-readiness, self-identified academic areas of need, the World-of-Work map and individual item analysis. In addition, counselors discuss the role standardized testing plays in post-high school acceptance, ways to be more prepared for education & training options beyond high school, including numerous opportunities such as college fairs, MCC Night, standardized testing (PSAT, ACT, SAT, PSAE), ASVAB career exploration tool, etc.

Career, College & Scholarship Exploration Meetings (Feb.): Exploration of Career Cruising.com continues, focusing on college and scholarship searches. Students also analyze their Practice ACT scores in combination with their cumulative grade point average to determine appropriate college application options.

Scheduling: Identify a Career

13 of 32

D200 Career Development

12th grade

Senior Appointments (Sept & Oct): Each student meets individually with his/her school counselor to review graduation status, career interest, and post-high school educational and training goals. During this meeting they outline the appropriate next steps for the student in his/her attainment of those post-high school goals (i.e. college application, meeting with military representatives, applying to trade schools, etc). They also review the financial aid process and resources to use for scholarship opportunities.

14 of 32

MCHS & Career Clusters

  • Curriculum Guide
    • Pathways are included in the document
  • Annual meeting with students (9-12)
    • discuss career interests and education plans
  • Career Cluster data shared with Administration to drive elective options
  • Parent Forums
  • Guidance Web Site

15 of 32

D154 Career Development

9th grade goal is “Get the facts about Career Clusters”.

Freshman 1st day:

CareerCruising Matchmaker

CareerCruising My Skills

Learning Style Inventory

Fall Mtg (November):

Create Individual Career Plan (ICP) with a

Career Cluster

Classroom Lessons/Freshman Mentoring:

Researching Careers & Training

Exploration of Career Clusters/Pathways

16 of 32

9th grade Meeting date: _________ Initial: _________

Career Cluster: __________________________

Career Interest: __________________________

GPA/Rank: __________________________

CareerMatchmaker results reviewed ____

Post-Secondary plans ___________________________

Activities:

10th grade Meeting date: _______ Initial: ______

Career Cluster: __________________________

Career Interest: _____________________

GPA/Rank: _________________________

Post-Secondary plans _________________

Activities:

11th grade Meeting date: _________ Initial: ________

Career Cluster: __________________________

Career Interest: __________________________

GPA/Rank: __________________________

Pass/Fail Option: ­­­­_____________________

Post-Secondary plans ___________________________

Activities:

12th grade Meeting date: _______ Initial: ______

Career Cluster: _______________________

Career Interest: _____________________

GPA/Rank: _________________________

Post-Secondary plans _________________

Activities:

Career Clusters:

AG - Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources AC - Architecture and Construction

AR - Arts, A/V Technology & Communications BU - Business Management & Administration

ED - Education, Training FI - Financing

GO - Government, Public Administration HE - Health Science

HO - Hospitality & Tourism HU - Human Services

IN - Information Technology MN - Manufacturing

MA - Marketing LA - Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security

SC - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics TR - Transportation, Distribution and Logistics

17 of 32

D154 Career Development

10th grade goal is “Grow in understanding of self and look for fit with potential careers”.

Annual Meeting (Winter)

Update ICP with Pathway and Program of Study

Student Enrichment Time:

Post-secondary planning lesson

Career speakers (identified by cluster)

Resume Workshop

Classroom Lessons:

Personality Reflection paper (English class) Myers

Briggs Personality Indicator

CareerCruising Matchmaker & My Skills update

Career Interview, paper and speech based on fit

(English class)

18 of 32

19 of 32

MCHS Career Development

11th grade goal is “Personalize My Individual Career Plan”

Annual Meetings (Winter):

Graduation/College Admission requirements

Update ICP: What is your career goal?, Are you

following the Career Pathway at MCHS?, Where do

you get the training/preparation?

Academic assessment of grades/scores/activities and

the college admission process

Student Enrichment Time:

Resume Workshop

Job Shadowing (based on pathway)

Post-secondary Planning

20 of 32

D154 Career Development

12th grade goal is “Learn how to transition successfully from MCHS”

Annual Meetings (September/October):

Grades, Post-secondary training, Graduation requirements, goal setting, career options

Classroom Lessons:

Resource Management class: What do employers want?, How to acquired skills, Interviewing skills/Mock interviews, Money management & budget (based on career), Professionalism (speech, dress, written)

English IV: Personal statement – Who Am I?

Student Enrichment Time:

Past Graduate panel

College/Career speakers

21 of 32

How Does Your School Use Career Clusters?

ISBE Resources

http://isbe.net/career/pdf/career_hs_activities.pdf

Sharing time

  • 9th grade class - year long
  • Student enrichment time
  • Outside speakers - ISAC
  • 9th - Who am I?
  • 8 essential workplace skills
  • Career research paper
  • Going into classrooms
  • Freshman career cruising project, Junior college research paper

22 of 32

How Does Your School Use Career Clusters?

Sharing time

  • Curriculum
  • Student Education
  • Parent Education
  • Staff Education
  • Exploration

23 of 32

Educating Students

Student buy in is essential

Educate students on what is a Career Cluster and how identifying a personal CC is a benefit

Where to find Career Clusters?

CareerCruising

Naviance

ACT Aspire (replaces Explore & Plan)

24 of 32

Educating Students

Settings

classroom lessons

Student Enrichment Time

homeroom

one-on-one

Presentation to parents & 8th graders prior to the school year

25 of 32

Educating Parents

How to reach them?

website link

parent forum

newsletter

parent/teacher conferences

include in the letters home (from

counselor meetings)

put a note on the report card

26 of 32

Challenge: Increasing Use of Career Clusters

Beginning Level

Start introducing Career Cluster vocabulary to your staff and students

  • Staff meetings (shows support from Counseling staff for all courses)
  • Directly point out the Career Cluster identification in Career Cruising or Naviance when working with students.

27 of 32

Challenge: Increasing Use of Career Clusters

Intermediate Level

Use Career Clusters when selecting courses.

  • Have students use the 16 clusters and pathways in booklets/on website to identify what area they are interested in (sometimes requires backward approach)
  • Make sure their courses align with their career goals

28 of 32

Challenge: Increasing Use of Career Clusters

Advanced Level

  • Monthly Career Cluster Assemblies
  • Student projects based on Career Cluster, education, and career
  • Create an Individual Learning Plan for each student with the focus being on their Career Cluster, Pathway, and Possible Occupation

29 of 32

Action Plan Ideas

30 of 32

Pair and Share

  • What works well
  • What are challenges
  • How to encourage change

31 of 32

Take Aways

Ability to define Career Cluster

Ability to define Program of Study

Ability to access ROE College & Career site

Leave with 1 idea to try at your high school

Student and parent “buy in” are key to

success

32 of 32

Thank you!

Amanda Harmer

Woodstock CUSD #200

Career Facilitator

aharmer@wcusd200.org

Natasha Schultz

Marengo #154

Guidance Director

schultzn@mchs154.org