The National Career Clusters Framework
The National Career Clusters Framework
The National Career Clusters® Framework provides a vital structure for organizing and delivering quality CTE through learning and comprehensive programs of study.
Background
The National Career Clusters® Framework serves as an organizing tool for Career Technical Education (CTE) programs, curriculum design, and instruction.
In 1999 in the aftermath of the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Act (Perkins III), the then United States Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) released the 16 Career Clusters as a new means to organize CTE programs. In 2001, OVAE released a national request for proposal for support in the development of a curriculum framework and administration for the Career Clusters. Advance CTE in collaboration with the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, was awarded a grant to develop a uniform framework for the Career Clusters. Through this grant, Advance CTE worked with a variety of stakeholders to pilot and scale Career Cluster implementation structures and establish knowledge and skills statements.
In 2012, Advance CTE held a kickoff event to unveil the current National Career Clusters Framework, including Common Career Technical Core standards with performance elements, knowledge and skills statements, plans of study, and a curriculum frame for each Career Cluster.
In 2024, Advance CTE released an updated, modernized Framework after a 2-year modernization process involving over 3,500 CTE professionals. The modernized Framework strives to serve as a bridge between education and industry, and centers industry structure and terminology to reflect the entire world of work. Advance CTE strives for the Framework informing not only CTE, but all career education and workforce development experiences to transform:
- pathways to be more personalized and better meet the needs of learners, industry, and communities;
- systems by breaking down silos between sectors, disciplines, and systems; and
- lives by preparing learners of all ages and backgrounds for dynamic and high-opportunity careers.
Currently, there are 14 Career Clusters in the National Career Clusters Framework, including three Cross-Cutting Clusters, representing 72 Sub-Clusters to help learners explore and pursue all career possibilities across the world of work. These Clusters are underpinned by six purpose-driven Cluster Groupings and 12 Career Ready Practices that are embedded across all careers. Visit the Career Clusters section for more information on the structure and users of the Framework.
Impact
The Framework organized academic and technical knowledge and skills into a coherent sequence, identified pathways from secondary to postsecondary education, and created a new “level” of standards (knowledge and skills statements) for CTE that balanced employability skills and job-specific skills.
The modernization of the Framework strived to move beyond a purely education-centered structure to center industry structure and needs to serve as a bridge between learning and work. Importantly, the design of the Framework was validated by over 200 industry representatives through Industry Advisory Groups.
The original Framework was used in some form by all 50 states and territories to organize CTE programs at the state and local levels. The modernized Framework is in the process of being adopted and implemented by most states over the coming years.
What's Ahead
States are currently in the process of updating their programs and systems to align with the modernized Framework, with a particular focus on:
- Program of Study Design & Sequencing
- Data System Design, Collection, & Analysis
- Educator & Learner Credentialing
- Industry & Labor Market Information Alignment
- Career Advising & Exploration
- Postsecondary Alignment & Connections
Advance CTE is providing intensive technical assistance to a cohort of eight states who are early adopters of the Framework, as well as individualized technical assistance to additional states on curriculum crosswalks, systems alignment, and communications.
