CARL D. PERKINS Synopsis:

• Carl D. Perkins was an elected official at the federal level who chaired the committee to secure federal funding for vocational education (later called career and technical education) programs. This began in the mid 1980's. 

• Family and Consumer Sciences used to have it's own line item for funding as it is believed the decision makers at that time viewed the impact FCS had on the people who make up the workforce was necessary for success in life and all careers. 

• This is supported by the Department of Labor's Tiered Competency model which identifies "personal effectiveness skills", skills they say are "essential for all life roles", and foundational to life and work success. But what if those skills aren't learned?  That is the foundational "life literacy" component FCS is known for. Even Perkins V lists Family and Consumer Sciences as a use of funds to teach employability skills as well as the occupational training. 

• This funding, called "Perkins" or "Perkins V" due to being it's it's fifth updating states what the funding can and can not be used for, and what must happen to ensure it's being spent with fidelity. 

• Perkins recognizes the modernized career clusters to allow connections between workforce need, foundational skill set knowledge and occupational training. FCS Education does not have it's own career cluster, but is interdiscplinary meaning it is the glue which ties all career training and worker needs together.  Career clusters identified as FCS are those which directly tie to meeting the needs of people. 

• The items below are reference material for your use if your school is applying for, and using Perkins funding to support CTE:

Modernized Career Clusters: 

Beginning in  2026-27, Montana CTAE is transitioning to the modernized career clusters as released by Advance CTE. Even though Family and Consumer Sciences does not have it's own career cluster, the following information indicates the importance of FCS  in preparing the Montana workforce across multiple occupational divisions. 

Please review to learn about our vital discipline:

1. Family and Consumer Sciences in the National Career Cluster Framework, Advance CTE, 2024.

2. National Study finds Family and Consumer Sciences Contributes $753 Billion Annually to the US Economy, EIN Presswire.com, September 23 2025.

See below a crosswalk between the existing career clusters/pathways to the modernized clusters/pathways.  This will be followed by the FCS pathways and cross pathway work which FCS is providing. 

FCS Career Clusters (starting 2026-27) with content crosswalk to other clusters (to indicate our interdisciplinary focus).

Additional FCS Course Recognition:

Family and Consumer Sciences courses are multi-disciplinary meaning their content provides valuable information to a variety of careers.  The following courses are recognized in non-FCS pathways beginning in the 2026-27 school year.  FCS identificaiton and licensure still remains even if linked with non-FCS pathways.  This means FCS is still the licensure required to teach them, but the credit can count toward non-FCS pathways.  This embraces the integrative nature of the FCS content.  

Food Science and Processing:

16051 Exploring Restaurant, Food and Beverage Services--Comprehensive

16054 Nutrition and Food Preparation

19254  Food Science (FCS)

Allied Health Professions:

19253 Nutrition and Wellness

19261 Human Growth and Development

Montana Tribal Leadership and Government:

19001  Human Services Career Exploration

19054  Child and Adult Care Services

19257  Life Skills

19258 Personal and Career Readiness

19259 Family and Interpersonal Relationships

Arts, Entertainment and Design:

68256  Clothing/Sewing

05164  Fiber and Textile Design

19203  Apparel Construction

19248  Apparel & Furnishings Workplace Experience

A Discussion: FCS Careers, Life Literacy  and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

FCS Pathway Credentials 

For more information:  American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences pre-professional credentialing program: AAFCS Pre-PAC 

SCED Codes Used for Reporting and Pathway Recognition

COURSE CODES WITH DESCRIPTIONS*:

Overiew:

• MT CTE has courses recognized by a state identified title and a five digit code (called SCED codes) with a nationally developed course description.  

• These codes are used for linking data reporting, pathway course identification and teacher licensure allowances.  It is vital accurate codes are used for courses in MT FCS programs. 

• As FCS courses are established and/or added to school offerings, review the programs of study  listing of recognized codes by pathway (accessed above), reading the aligned descriptions (accessed below)  to determine the best fitting five-digit code.  

• Course Code Access Link:  https://opi.mt.gov/Leadership/Assessment-Accountability/School-Accreditation/Endorsement-Course-Codes

  • NOTE: CTE and FCS codes are located toward the end of this document,  so scroll from bottom up to access them more quickly.

(*Look under FCS Framework for Montana FCS course framework documents with codes and descriptions as well as standards by course. )

National FCS to Pathway Connection Resources 

1.NATIONAL LEADFCS FRAMEWORK: LEADFCS Education ( www.http://www.leadfcsed.org/ )   is a national organization which addresses issues that cross the US.  See this box link below for more detail related to the FCS Education connections to the 16 career pathways.   Yes, FCS is found in all pathways and is considered foundational to workforce success. 

2. FCCLA AND PATHWAYS:  FCCLA has multiple resources divided by pathway.  Refer here for more information. 

Fashion & Interiors Modernized Career Sub Cluster Reference Documents:

Montana Business and Industry Related to Fashion and Textiles: 

Montana hosts a robust industry of outdoor textile and apparel companies, ranging from high-performance hunting gear to sustainable Merino wool clothing and rugged packs. Key Montana-based companies include Sitka Gear (Bozeman), FORLOH (Whitefish), Mystery Ranch (Bozeman), Duckworth (Bozeman), and Red Ants Pants (White Sulphur Springs). 

Field Mag +4

Montana Outdoor Textile & Apparel Companies

• Sitka Gear (Bozeman): High-performance hunting apparel.

• FORLOH (Whitefish): 100% American-made technical hunting and outdoor apparel.

• Mystery Ranch (Bozeman): Durable, high-quality backpacks for hiking, hunting, and military.

• Duckworth (Bozeman): Source-verified Merino wool apparel.

• Red Ants Pants (White Sulphur Springs): Women’s work pants and apparel.

• Montana Canvas (Belgrade): Specialized in canvas tents and outdoor gear.

• Caribou Gear (MT): Premium game bags and hunting equipment.

• Bedrock Sandals (Missoula): Performance sandals for hiking and rafting.

• Action Clothing Technology, Inc. (Noxon): Specialized clothing production.

• Montana Fly Company (MT): Fly fishing products and accessories.

• Alpacas of Montana (Bozeman): Alpaca wool clothing and products.

• Oboz Footwear (Bozeman): Technical hiking footwear.

• Montana Shirt Co. (Whitefish): Regional apparel. 

• Field Mag +10

Textile & Cut-and-Sew Manufacturers

• R&R Trading, Inc. (Huntley): Apparel manufacturing.

• Rocky Mountain Embroidery (MT): Custom embroidery and apparel services.

• Bull Pacs, Inc. (Great Falls): Specialized packs. 

Many of these companies are active in organizations supporting the state's outdoor economy, such as Business for Montana's Outdoors. 

Business for Montana's Outdoors