Using Career Clusters In Career Development

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Using Career Clusters In Career Development

• Presented by
• Belinda McCharen, Ed.D., LPC, NCC, NCCC
• Tuttle Endowed Chair for Occupational Studies
• College of Education
• Oklahoma State University
• belinda.mccharen_at_okstate.edu

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So Why Are We Here?
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Essential Questions

• Why are we using career clusters, career pathways
  and programs of study to provide a basis for
  career development?
• Is our current system of guidance and advisement
  providing avenues of success for all learners
  (secondary, postsecondary, adults)?

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Vocational Education vs. Career and Technical
Education
Vocational Education Then Career and Technical Education Now
For Some Students For All Students
For a Few Jobs For All Careers
6 to 7 Program Areas 16 Clusters 81 Pathways
In Lieu of Academics Aligns and Supports Academics
High School Focused College Competitor High School and College Partnerships
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Key Terms

• Career Cluster
• Career Pathway
• Program of Study
• Career Major
• Plan of Study
• Dual Credit

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Need to Know Information about Perkins?

• At least one Program of Study must be in place
  during the 2008-09 school year
• The Programs of Study must include courses at
  both the secondary and postsecondary levels

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Need to Know Information about Perkins

• The Programs of Study must include both academic
  and CTE/degree major courses and
• The Programs of Study must lead somewhere a
  credential, certificate, license, degree, etc.

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Key Terms

• Career Clusters are groupings of occupations and
  industries
• A Career Pathway represents a grouping of
  occupations within a cluster based on
  commonalities
• A Program of Study is sequence of courses used to
  get students from high school entry to success in
  careers and postsecondary education/both academic
  and technical courses

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Key Terms, cont.

• A Plan of Study is the tool used to help students
  identify the courses needed to reach their career
  goal and establish their educational strategy
• Dual Credit is college credit earned by being
  enrolled in courses at the tech center and
  earning credit from a community college

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National Perspective

• System Philosophy for Career Clusters
• Career-focused educational reform
• Career Development Instruction Delivery
  Seamless Education
• Framework in which occupationally-specific
  programs are one component
• Connects career development and guidance to
  delivery systems
• Vertical and horizontal transfer of
  knowledge/skills

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National Perspective

• Career Clusters require a shift in thinking from
  ONLY specific occupational education and skills
  training to a seamless system
• Career Clusters require CTE programs to quit
  thinking as stand-alone and begin thinking as
  part of a seamless system
• Career Clusters require long-term commitment of
  every partner in its role within the system
• Career Clusters support workforce preparation and
  economic development

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Lets Say It Again

• A Plan of Study is the framework to get students
  from high school entry to success in careers and
  postsecondary education
• Its not hard, but someone has to take the lead
  and dedicate the time
• You are the leaders to implement

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Whats Most Important?

• NOT What you call courses
• NOT How many courses you take
• Its being sure students get the content and the
  career development they need in a format they can
  understand

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Where Do Clusters Fit in the Educational System?

• Elementary, Middle and Comprehensive High Schools
• Career Academies
• Small Learning Communities
• Technology Centers/Tech Colleges
• Magnet Schools
• Community Colleges
• Universities
• Business and Industry (re-tool, cross-train,
  career ladders/lattices)

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16 Career Clusters


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Connections

• Strategies
• Perkins
• School-to-Careers
• HSTW
• Tech Prep
• Career Academies
• Small Learning Communities
• Career-Themed Instruction
• Career Development
• Career/Transition Planning

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What are the Programs of Study?

• A sequenced listing of courses, both academic and
  CTE/degree major, that connects students high
  school and postsecondary educational experiences

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REMEMBER

• Courses that teach knowledge and skills to reach
  industry standards for specific careers NEED TO
  BE ADDED to the student program of study

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• www.careerclusters.org

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CAREER
PS
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
CAREER MAJOR
PATHWAY KS
CLUSTER KS
9TH GRADE
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How Is A Plan of Study Used?

• It is the advisement document that interprets the
  program of study to students and
  parents/guardians
• Provides a tool to plan academic and technical
  courses to achieve a career goal
• It is a student, teacher and counselor
• roadmap to career success

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How Will You Help Implement?

• Understand the purpose of clusters and pathways
• Understand how clusters and pathways help connect
  to the next level of education and careers
• How will teachers be involved?
• Know if clusters and instruction will be
  connected to a career plan

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So Are You Ready?
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ASCA National Standards

• Academic Development
• The academic standards serve as a guide for the
  school counseling program to implement strategies
  and activities that support and maximize student
  learning. Academic development includes
• Acquiring skills, attitudes, and knowledge to
  learn effectively
• Employing strategies to achieve success in
  school and
• Understanding the relationship of academics to
  the world of work, and to life at home and in the
  community.

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ASCA National Standards

• Career Development
• Program standards for career development serve as
  a guide for the school counseling program to
  provide the foundation for acquiring the skills,
  attitudes, and knowledge that enable students to
  make a successful transition from school to the
  world of work. Career development includes
• strategies to achieve future career success and
  job satisfaction
• fostering an understanding of the relationship
  between personal qualities, education and
  training, and the world of work and
• the development of career goals by all students
  as a result of career awareness and experiential
  activities.

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ASCA National Standards

• Personal/Social Development
• Program standards for personal/social development
  serve as a guide for the school counseling
  program to provide the foundation for personal
  and social growth which contributes to academic
  and career success. Personal/social development
  includes
• the acquisition of skills, attitudes, and
  knowledge which helps students to respect self
  and others
• the use of effective interpersonal skills
• the employment of safety and survival skills
• understanding the obligation to be a contributing
  member of our society and
• the ability to negotiate successfully and safely
  in the increasingly complex and diverse world of
  the 21st century.

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Which Standards Do Programs of Study Facilitate?

• Understanding the relationship of academics to
  the world of work, and to life at home and in the
  community.
• Strategies to achieve future career success and
  job satisfaction
• Fostering an understanding of the relationship
  between personal qualities, education and
  training, and the world of work and
• Development of career goals by all students as a
  result of career awareness and experiential
  activities

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Plan of Study Checklist

• Are both academic and degree major courses
  included?
• Are both secondary and postsecondary courses
  included?
• Do courses represent a sequence of instruction
  that leads to a degree, certificate or credential?

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POS Checklist, cont.

• Do courses represent a coherent and rigorous
  program of studies?
• Does completion of the high school courses ensure
  success at the postsecondary/career level?
• Does the high school plan reflect opportunities
  for postsecondary and dual enrollment?

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Implementation of the Pathways Provides

• Consistency for better data (results) and shared
  opportunities for development
• Articulation within and between states
• Employer and postsecondary validated standards
• Opportunities for all students
• A place for all career goals and interests

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Critical Components for Cluster Implementation

• Administrative Support
• Shared Planning
• Career Development
• Professional Development
• Parent and Community Support
• Education Partnerships
• BI Support and Understanding

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Critical Components for Cluster Implementation

• Career Development Process
• Connect Planning with Enrollment
• Student Centered Learning
• Commitment to Career Development/Guidance for all
  students

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Why Do All This?

• Worst Reasons!!!
• Perkins Legislation
• Just to get the money
• Someone says we have to

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Why Do All This?

• Best Reasons!!!
• It is best for students
• It links the various levels of education
• It causes academic courses and CTE/degree major
  courses to have a linkage
• It gives faculty members a reason to work together

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Why Do All This?

• It puts a reason into what students are
  learning
• Reduce remediation
• Increase academic and career success
• It adds value to CTEno one else is doing it for
  students!!

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Benefits for Learners

• Enhances academics by providing real-world
  relevance
• Provides opportunities to explore multiple
  pathways and relates high profile careers to real
  life situations
• Relationships among educational institutions
• Sets them apart from
• the pack

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Benefits for Teachers/Faculty

• Curriculum can be tailored to the needs of the
  community
• Opportunity to integrate CTE and traditional
  academics
• Opportunity to enhance academic achievement for
  all students

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Benefits for Counselors/Advisors

• Provides structure for advisement
• Provides context to discuss enrollment,
  assessment and future transitions/career plans
• Provides information for parents to partner in
  planning process
• Provides connection to business and industry and
  demand careers

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Benefits for Postsecondary

• Learners who have established a career path
• Learners with better academic skills and in need
  of less remediation
• Avenue to connect
• with high school

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Benefits for Parents

• Smoother entry into postsecondary education
• Students can make better career decisions
• Students have a plan for high school completion
  and college

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Benefits for Workforce Development and Business

• Provides a well qualified workforce which can
  quickly adapt to changing needs
• Opportunity for input in school curriculum
• Framework for cross-training or re-tooling the
  workforce

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Get Excited!!
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And get moving

• The students are waiting to plan their future!

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If I can provide you with any assistance, please
contact

• Belinda McCharen
• belinda.mccharen_at_okstate.edu
• 405.744.9502
• Or 405.623.6196 (cell)