Illinois Career Clusters
The federal government has called on states to further improve CTE by creating a system of aligned, non-duplicative programs that support student transitions from one level to the next. This objective is realized through the creation of CTE Programs of Study (POS) which are sequences of courses that incorporate a non-duplicative progression of secondary and postsecondary elements which include both academic and CTE content. Effective Programs of Study include opportunities to earn college credit (dual credit) in high school, an industry-recognized credential or certificate at the secondary/postsecondary level, and an associate or baccalaureate degree.
To help facilitate this effort, Illinois has adopted the national Career Cluster framework. Career Clusters are groups of occupations and industries that have in common a set of foundational knowledge and skills. There are 16 national recognized clusters, within which are multiple Career Pathways.
Career Pathways are multi-year programs of academic and technical study that prepare students for a full range of postsecondary options within each of the 16 clusters. Currently, there are 81 nationally recognized Career Pathways, each with a specific set of Pathway Knowledge and Skills. These pathways provide a context for exploring career options at all levels of education and a framework for linking learning to the skills and knowledge needed for future education and employment.
Click on one of the 16 Career Clusters below represented in the graphical menu to learn more about each cluster and pathways associated with the cluster, statewide cluster/pathway models that have been developed, and Illinois community colleges that currently offer programs within the given cluster/pathway level sequence: