All North Carolina CTE courses are aligned to 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 a student should know and be able to do. They prepare students for success in a broad range of occupations/career specialties. Some CTE courses cross over all 16 Career Clusters.

The Career Clusters initiative includes 16 clusters and 79 related pathways. Career clusters help to identify pathways from secondary school to two- and four-year colleges, graduate school, and the workplace, so students can link what they learn in school and what they can do in the future. This connection to future goals motivates students to work harder and enroll in more rigorous courses.

Each Career Cluster contains several career Pathways that are connected to educational programs, industries, and jobs. Click a career cluster to learn more information or click the center to uncover your Career Cluster Match!