Career Pathways
Career Pathways are broad groupings of careers that share similar characteristics and whose employment requirements call for many common interests, strengths and competencies. The desired outcomes of career preparation are student achievement and ultimate success in a career of choice. Meeting the career related need of students calls for alignment with career opportunities in the real work world. Career Pathways provide useful framework to aid both students and educators in making those meaningful connections to the work world. Six Pathways, while not specifically required as presented, have been identified to cover all career opportunities regardless of educational requirements:
* Arts & Communications: careers related to the humanities, the performing, visual, literary and media arts.
* Business, Management, Marketing & Technology: careers related to all aspects of business including accounting, business administration, finance, information processing, and marketing.
* Engineering/Manufacturing and Industrial Technology: careers related to technologies necessary to design, develop, install or maintain physical systems.
* Health Sciences: careers related to the promotion of health as well as the treatment of injuries, conditions, and disease.
* Human Services: includes careers in childcare, civil service, education, hospitality, and the social services.
* Natural Resources and Agriscience: careers related to natural resources, agriculture and the environment.
Personal aptitudes and interests are important factors as students begin to identify career opportunities. Career Pathways give flexibility and structure to the student career choice process as well as to educational programs and services that contribute to the career preparation of students. Even though described as part of Career Development, the alignment provided through Career Pathways influences all career preparation components as those at the post high school level.