The Innovation Center in Auburn-Washburn USD 437 in Topeka, Kansas is a new hands-on learning CTE facility offering 18 career-focused pathways of study.
The updated National Career Clusters Framework, for example, released in October 2024 by national nonprofit Advance CTE after two years of research and development, represents the first significant overhaul of the organization’s foundational resource in more than 20 years.
The modernized Framework, intended to provide state and district leaders with guidance for building relevant, industry-responsive and learner-centered CTE programs, reflects a growing recognition that tomorrow’s careers demand versatile interdisciplinary skills, technological fluency, and the ability to adapt as many industries rapidly transform.
A 2024 EdWeek Research Center survey found that schools are increasingly incorporating career exploration through career days (73%), guest speakers (68%), and work-based learning (57%). Half of the respondents said they offer more on-the-job learning experiences to students today than they did a decade ago.
RIASEC: Matching personality types with career paths
At Avonworth Elementary School, a grade 3-6 school that is part of the Avonworth School District in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Principal Bill Battistone oversees a district-wide initiative that intertwines career readiness with everyday learning. Using the World of Work framework, students from kindergarten
Avonworth Elementary students in Pennsylvania blended history with career education for a Colonial Job Fair, exploring historical occupations connected to their RIASEC personality codes.
“World of Work is about showing students that who they are matters and there’s a place in the world for them,” says Battistone. Students complete surveys to identify their RIASEC letters: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, or Conventional. These codes reflect their personalities, interests, talents, and are tied to potential career alignments, helping to shape classroom discussions, group activities, and even literature studies.
For example, fourth graders learn not only about human anatomy, but also the emotion of empathy and the careers of heart surgeons in a blended unit titled A Great Heart.
As part of a project about the Boston Tea Party, Avonworth fourth graders not only studied history and the experiences of everyday people during the colonial era, but also selected an occupation from the time based on their own RIASEC letters. The school then held a “Colonial Job Fair” where students presented their research about their chosen “colonial job.”
Avonworth teachers can group students by similar or diverse RIASEC letters to encourage collaboration and exploration. For school-wide programs, teachers can organize students across grades based on their RIASEC profiles.
“What we’re doing is unlike anything I’ve seen before,” says Battistone. “It’s creating excitement among our parents, principals, and teachers, and it’s helping students see their potential.”
Hands-on career exploration
In Topeka, Kansas, Washburn Rural High School, part of Auburn-Washburn USD 437,
Inside the newly opened 50,000-square-foot Innovation Center CTE facility in Auburn-Washburn USD 437 in Topeka, Kansas.
“We turned a 30-year-old wood shop into an indoor construction site where students can build modular homes year-round,” says Reed. The center also houses a computerized greenhouse, a professional-level biomedical lab, and cutting-edge robotics facilities. Students can earn certifications, and gain practical experience through internships, ensuring they graduate ready for either higher education or immediate employment.
Exposure to the possibilities
High school students in Oklahoma's Norman Public Schools tour local employers including health care systems to learn more about potential careers.
High school students take a step further by touring local employers including the Norman Regional Health System, Oklahoma Aviation Academy, and others. Local businesses and organizations collaborate to put on events that showcase a wide array of career options.
“We want students to see all the possibilities,” says Kristi Gray, director of Gifted, Advanced Programs, and College and Career Readiness at NPS. “They need to believe they’re capable of succeeding in any career.”
Aligning pathways with workforce needs
The modernization of career education is about rethinking what school can be, says Alison Harris Welcher, chief of staff at Chiefs for Change, a national nonprofit dedicated to advancing education policies that make a difference for all students. Welcher underscores the urgency of the need for transformation.
“A high school diploma no longer guarantees economic and social mobility,” says Welcher. “We need to ensure students have experiences that translate fluently into the workforce or postsecondary pathways.”
In Washington state’s Issaquah School District 411, schools are tailoring CTE opportunities to the needs of employers in the community, with programs in sports medicine, IT networking, and cybersecurity. At Gibson Ek High School, a project-based learning model allows students to pursue personal interests, spend two days a week at internships, and graduate with portfolio-based transcripts.
“We’re aligning pathways with workforce needs and expanding internships, apprenticeships, and volunteer opportunities,” says Superintendent Heather Tow-Yick. “This ensures students graduate prepared for the careers of tomorrow.”
