Pathways: Career Fields & Clusters
The next step beyond community partnerships is to create Pathways or Clusters as an authentic way to develop Employability Skills. Many high school programs have existing pathways.
Tools to get started
Creating an intentional pathway that is flexible can be challenging. Plot your school or district pathways plan in this tool.
Examples
C4, IN
C4 Columbus Area Career Connection housed in Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation offers a flexible curriculum with one-, two-, and three-hour classes within 10 career clusters. There are 123 course options and more than 300 community school-to-work opportunities. 97% of Bartholomew Consolidated students requested a C4 class for SY 23-24.
Vista, CA
Middle school students in Vista Unified in California now experience Talent Cities, and high school students have flexible, intentional pathways (see slides 9-10). Of the 32 classes needed to graduate, MVHS students have their choice of 17. Click here to learn more.
Resources
A Guide for the Development of Aligned Career Pathways Systems
Launch Pathways - a national initiative for every learner to have access to and succeed in high-quality and equitable pathways
Sample K-12 Career and College Pathways Employability Experience Map