Hoke County Schools

CAREER AND COLLEGE READY

The mission of Career and Technical Education (CTE) is to empower students to be successful citizens, workers, and leaders in a global economy. CTE programs are designed to contribute to the broad educational achievement of students, including basic skills, as well as their ability to work independently and as part of a team, think creatively and solve problems, and utilize technology in the thinking and problem-solving process.

Career and Technical Education fulfills an increasingly significant role in school reform efforts. Students who concentrate in a CTE area, earning at least four related technical credits and meeting other criteria, are better prepared for the further education and advanced training required to be successful in 21^st century careers. Career and Technical Educators at the state and local levels partner with business and industry and with community colleges and other postsecondary institutions to ensure Career and Technical Education serves the needs of individual students and of the state.

The federal Carl Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 provides the framework for Career and Technical Education. North Carolina’s Five-Year Plan for Career and Technical Education specifies how Career and Technical Education programs will be carried out in the state. Additional information about planning for Career and Technical Education is found in the CTE Planning Guide.

CAREER CLUSTERS AND PROGRAMS OF STUDY

Career Clusters are broad groupings of occupations/career specialties, organized by common knowledge and skills required for career success. There are 16 Career ClustersTM and 79 related pathways (subgroupings of occupations/career specialties). Supported by the 2006 Perkins legislation, Career ClustersTM are an organizing tool for curriculum design, school guidance, and a framework for seamless transition to career and college.

All NC CTE courses align to the Career Clusters. Each course is placed in a Career Cluster based on a set of knowledge and skills common to all careers in the entire Career Cluster. Industry-validated knowledge and skills statements of student expectations identify what the student should know and be able to do. They prepare students for success in a broad range of occupations/career specialties.