CTE Career Pathways FAQs
If you have not yet met with a counselor to discuss your career goals, make an appointment
today to talk about career pathways and develop your educational plan. A career pathway is
a series of courses or programs that will help you reach different steps along the
way toward your career goal.
High School Students: What is a CTE pathway?
A CTE pathway is a sequence of two or more CTE courses within a student’s area of
career interest. Pathways are designed to connect high school classes to college,
industry certifications, and/or a career.
What is a program of study?
A program of study shows the classes you need to take in a career pathway to complete
high school and a certificate or an associate's degree showing both the career pathway
classes and the general education classes you will need. Some programs of study may
include articulated classes. Explore Industry Sector (cluster) Career Pathways with
your counselor.
Why should students participate in a CTE pathway?
While in high school, students have the opportunity to acquire free technical skills
training in the career field he/she is interested in. Students will learn valuable
technical skills and soft skills making them employable regardless of the field of
study they actually end up in
Are any CTE classes in pathways articulated with local community colleges?
Yes! Many CTE courses are articulated with Glendale Community Colleges. At the beginning
of each school year, CTE teachers work with CTE transition coordinators from Glendale
Community College to begin or renew their course articulation agreements.
How do CTE courses prepare students for college and career?
All CTE courses support the Common Core and CTE Model Curriculum Standards (MCS). Learning rigorous academic skills, especially in English Language Arts and Mathematics
are an integral part of each CTE course outline and competencies. These skills help
our students put English Language Arts and Mathematics to work in a real-world, hands-on
environment they can relate to. The CTE MCS are designed to assist school districts
in developing high quality curriculum and instruction to prepare students for future
careers. The MCS were created with assistance from more than 300 representatives from
business, industry, postsecondary and secondary education and reviewed by nearly 1000
members of the general public. These standards are rigorous, evidence-based, relevant
and reasonable in scope
GCC faculty can request to present a classroom presentation to our local high schools
(GUSD and BUSD). Click below:
GCC Faculty Request Form
Community College Students
If you are currently attending community college, you may be trying to figure out
which career area is the right one for you. Not all careers require a four year degree.
There are many certificate and associate degree programs that take two years or less
and that lead to high-demand, high paying careers.
Industry Sector (clusters) career Pathways
- There are fifteen industry sectors (clusters) with multiple career pathways in each. Career pathways may lead to certificates,
associate degrees or transfer degrees which allow students to go on to a four year
college to complete a bachelor's degree.
