Career Paths, Clusters, and Pathways: A Way to Look At Course Selection
Joplin has identified five career paths with fifteen career clusters for students to select courses for career exploration while in high school. In addition, within the fifteen career clusters there are thirty-four career pathways for a more defined approach for a career after high school.
At JHS/FTC, students may choose one of five career paths. Within each career
path, students may focus on areas of emphasis called clusters or refine their study to one specific pathway. The five career paths are Human Services, Business and Information Technology, Health Services, Technical Services, and Arts and Communications.
Career clusters are clusters of occupations/careers
that are combined together because many of the people in them share similar interests and strengths. It is important for students to note that each career path consists of a variety of occupations that require different levels of education and training.
A career pathway links a set of courses in a defined course of study for students with exposure to the actual job skills and education required to eventually earn a degree, license, or immediate entry into the workforce for a rewarding career.