STEM emphasizes critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation—skills that are foundational across a broad range of careers rather than being confined to a standalone category. This brief explains how STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is embedded and interwoven across the modernized National Career Clusters Framework.
This resource, developed by Advance CTE, is intended to support the adoption and implementation of the National Career Clusters® Framework, the central building block to achieve consistently designed and high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE) programs. First introduced in 2002, a version of the Framework is used by the majority of states with Advance CTE as its steward. A modernized Framework was unveiled in October 2024 after a 2-year development and validation process.
Visit the Career Clusters section of the Advance CTE website for additional information about the full Framework and all associated tools and resources.
