Despite ongoing efforts and intentions, education and workforce systems remain too siloed, each offering their own programs, structures, and terminology. This can serve as a barrier for learners and industry partners alike. The shift to the updated National Career Clusters® Framework represents a unique moment in time to engage key audiences, have conversations about opportunities for greater alignment of work and language, and identify where capacity can be better leveraged across systems.
This brief articulates how to leverage the modernized National Career Clusters Framework as a prime opportunity to bring together these key systems—K-12, higher education, workforce development, and economic development—to support an aligned and cohesive career preparation system. The resource shares:
- optimal state for this policy area and key elements
- promising state practices
- key questions for consideration; and
- recommendations
This resource is part of a collection of briefs that provide recommendations, models, and promising practices to maximize the implementation of the Framework.
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This resource, developed by Advance CTE, supports the adoption and implementation of the National Career Clusters® Framework. It serves as 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.
