Career Technical Education
Career Technical Education (CTE) provides students of all ages with the academic and technical skills necessary to succeed in future careers and to become lifelong learners. CTE prepares learners for the world of work by introducing them to workplace competencies in sixteen career clusters. With the use of resources such as the New Mexico Career Clusters Guide and New Mexico Career Pathways website, schools and institutions can guide students to a successful career path within New Mexico.
Introduction to The Common Career Technical Core
NM Career Awareness Websites and Resources
Department of Workforce Solutions
The Department of Workforce Solutions offers various resources that highlight employment statistics and Labor Market Information (LMI). Labor Market Information is any information related to the labor force and workforce. LMI is used to make informed career and employment decisions. LMI can help job seekers prepare for the job market and make strong career choices that will ensure future success. For students, it also highlights career and internship opportunities, a resume builder and the “Why I Work” financial tool that shows how much money you need to make in order to make a sustainable living.
Career and Employment Resources
New Mexico Career Pathways
NM Career Pathways Version 2.0 is now available. The NM Career Pathways website is a tool that allows educators, parents and students to explore detailed information about their local school districts, labor markets and career clusters. Organized by workforce region, this labor market exploration tool offers valuable resources such as overviews, research and quarterly analyses by region, monthly podcasts and application of LMI communication methods to assist students in their career search.
Combined CTE Cohort and Soft Skills/Employability PLC with Joseph Goins and Trevor Stokes
NM Career Pathways Version 2.0 Training Session
Labor Market Information Practice and Application
Career Clusters
The National Career Clusters Framework is a classification system most commonly used in schools and state agencies. This framework groups occupations into sixteen different clusters based on similarities in foundational knowledge and skills needed to achieve career success. These clusters are then broken down into seventy-eight career pathways. The core academic and technical competencies that define each cluster provide the foundation on which students develop more advanced, industry-specific skills. Detailed descriptions of the knowledge and skills associated with each cluster can be can be found in 6.29.3 NMAC.
Introduction to Career Clusters Website
New Mexico Career Clusters Guide
List of Career Clusters and Career Pathways
High School Prepares Students for Careers
Every student follows a program of study (POS). When a POS is aligned with workforce needs it typically includes secondary courses, a postsecondary program, and industry recognized credentials of value. Students must complete four high school classes is a program of study sequence in order to completely master all the common career technical core standards of the pathway. Students may complete two classes in a sequence to be considered a concentrator.