How the Modern National Career Clusters® Framework Is Shaping the Future of Education

The world has changed since 2002. Back then, flip phones were high-tech. Facebook didn’t exist. “Going online” required dial-up. And Advance CTE had just introduced the National Career Clusters® Framework, which shaped career and technical education (CTE) as we know it today.

Over two decades later, smartphones, social media, and AI chatbots are a part of everyday life. With these changes in technology, the world of work has changed too. New careers—and entirely new industries—have emerged, while existing careers now require new skills.

After shaping CTE standards for more than 20 years, the Career Clusters® Framework needed revisions to help students not only keep up with the pace of change, but to thrive in it. Following a collaborative, 2-year effort, Advance CTE published the Modern National Career Clusters® Framework in October 2024.

Let’s take a closer look at the new framework and how it will impact educators, learners, and the future of CTE.

What is the New Career Cluster Framework?

The new National Career Clusters® Framework modernizes the connections between K–12 education and work. The framework organizes career pathways into 14 career clusters and 72 specialized sub-clusters. These serve as a foundation for high-quality CTE programs that prepare students to: 

• work in emerging industries
• adapt to technological innovations
• develop relevant, real-world skills

The new framework is designed to be more inclusive, responsive, and flexible than the original framework, empowering students to navigate an evolving career landscape with confidence.

copyright Advance CTE

What’s changed in the New Career Cluster Framework?

At first glance, the framework might not appear to have changed much. No career clusters were eliminated. Most career cluster names stayed the same.

Yet the Modern National Career Clusters® Framework introduces 4 key changes:

1. Align careers with a student’s sense of purpose
2. Take a more interdisciplinary approach to CTE
3. Prepare students for careers of the future
4. Connect learning to career-ready skills

Align Careers with a Student’s Sense of Purpose

As in the original framework, the 14 career clusters identify industry sectors as defined by groupings from Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes. But the new framework also organizes the career clusters into 5 cluster groupings: 

1. Creating and experiencing
2. Investing in the future
3. Caring for communities
4. Cultivating resources
5. Building and moving

These cluster groupings help students identify potential career paths that align with their interests and the impact they want to have in the world. This personalized approach will empower students to explore fields they may not have considered previously—broadening their horizons and fostering a sense of purpose.

Take a More Interdisciplinary Approach to Career Education

For today’s workers, an interdisciplinary approach is a must. Think about it: Doctors use technology to better serve their patients. Artists use marketing techniques to promote their work on social media. Electricians use financial and entrepreneurial skills to scale their small business. 

The new framework reflects this reality with the introduction of 3 cross-cutting clusters:

1. Digital Technology
2. Marketing & Sales
3. Management & Entrepreneurship 

Careers in these cross-cutting clusters—such as software development, project management, and advertising—overlap all industries. They can be careers in and of themselves, or they can be contextualized within a specific industry cluster. For example, students who participate in an agriscience pathway can now take business courses to round-out their education and get richer, more relevant preparation for their careers.

While the previous Career Clusters® Framework was static and restricted students to predefined industry pathways, the new Career Clusters® Framework takes a more modern, interdisciplinary approach. Now, students can explore flexible pathways that cross traditional boundaries between clusters and align with their unique interests and goals. This flexibility will create a more responsive, dynamic approach to career preparation in many ways, from teacher licensure to quicker retirement of ineffective or out-of-date programs.

Prepare Students for Careers of the Future

The Modern National Career Clusters® Framework also introduces a variety of forward-looking subclusters in growing fields, like:

• robotics
• health data
• clean energy
• artificial intelligence
• space transportation

Over time, we will see CTE programs, standards, course offerings, and publisher materials updated to meet these needs. CTE courses on emerging topics—such as Bitcoin, Augmented and Virtual Reality, and Wearable Technology — will be in demand as they equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in tomorrow’s workforce.

Connect Learning to Career-Ready Skills

As automation, artificial intelligence, and globalization continue to reshape the job market, future-ready skills are more essential than ever. The Modern National Career Clusters® Framework identifies 16 Career Ready Practices to ensure students develop key transferable skills, starting in Pre-K through to their professional careers. 

These Career Ready Practices include: 

• Communicating clearly, effectively, and within reason
• Remaining resilient in a changing workplace and world of work
• Collaborating productively while using cultural and global competencies
• Using digital skills and technologies to enhance productivity and make data-informed decisions

By developing students’ adaptability, collaboration, and communication, we can prepare students to thrive in any career they choose. Even careers that may not yet exist. 

A Pathway to Lifelong Success

At its core, the new Career Clusters® Framework is about setting students on a path to lifelong success. By updating career education standards with evolving industry needs, we can equip students with the relevant skills to succeed in careers that are both fulfilling and financially sustainable. In this new era, CTE isn’t just about preparing students for jobs. It’s about preparing students for lasting, adaptable, and rewarding careers.

Check out our College Readiness and Career Readiness blog to learn more about the best strategies to prepare your students for high school, college, and beyond.