Implementing Career Clusters:Challenges and Opportunities

for Montanabyby

Robert G. SheetsRobert G. Sheets

Business and Industry ServicesBusiness and Industry Services

University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

October 2007October 2007

Presentation Overview

Two Questions:Two Questions:

How should states implement career clusters to How should states implement career clusters to support state economic development and expand support state economic development and expand career opportunities for CTE students?career opportunities for CTE students?

How can small, rural states like Montana do this? How can small, rural states like Montana do this? What are the unique challenges and opportunities What are the unique challenges and opportunities and what can be done to address them?and what can be done to address them?

Implementing Career Clusters American businesses will increasingly compete on innovation American businesses will increasingly compete on innovation

in the global economy--the key factor will be innovation talent in the global economy--the key factor will be innovation talent States and regions will compete on how well they provide the States and regions will compete on how well they provide the

best stream of innovation talentbest stream of innovation talent CTE should play a central role in producing innovation talent CTE should play a central role in producing innovation talent

through career cluster frameworks that have expanded through career cluster frameworks that have expanded foundations and pathways focused on core business processesfoundations and pathways focused on core business processes

Core business processes provide the best context for high-level Core business processes provide the best context for high-level interdisciplinary academic integration and problem based interdisciplinary academic integration and problem based teaching strategiesteaching strategies

Building innovation talent will require disruptive innovation in Building innovation talent will require disruptive innovation in the education enterprisethe education enterprise

Businesses Competing on Innovation

Defining business innovation…..Defining business innovation…..

““The development and implementation of new ideas and new The development and implementation of new ideas and new ways of doing things (business models, products and services, ways of doing things (business models, products and services, markets, processes) to create customer value and drive business markets, processes) to create customer value and drive business growth. It includes both incremental improvements and growth. It includes both incremental improvements and breakthrough developments. It is the interface between business breakthrough developments. It is the interface between business entrepreneurship and science and technology discovery as well as entrepreneurship and science and technology discovery as well as other types of creativity and discovery beyond the physical other types of creativity and discovery beyond the physical sciences and engineering, including art and design and the social sciences and engineering, including art and design and the social sciences. It requires the effective management of the natural sciences. It requires the effective management of the natural tension between promoting creativity and discovery and capturing tension between promoting creativity and discovery and capturing economic value for businesses and their partners.“economic value for businesses and their partners.“Source: Illinois Innovate Now InitiativeSource: Illinois Innovate Now Initiative

Businesses Competing on Innovation Businesses will compete on doing it faster, cheaper, Businesses will compete on doing it faster, cheaper,

and better and better Not just scientific discovery and technological Not just scientific discovery and technological

breakthroughsbreakthroughs Entrepreneurship and innovationEntrepreneurship and innovation Balancing sustaining and disruptive innovationBalancing sustaining and disruptive innovation Customer-centered and open and collaborative Customer-centered and open and collaborative

organizations within value networkorganizations within value network Rewiring the organization to build the capacity for Rewiring the organization to build the capacity for

continuous innovation (Figure 1)continuous innovation (Figure 1)

Figure 1: Transition to 21st Century Workplaces

From: To: Management Centralized Decentralized Functions Separated Shared  Professional/Technical Centralized Decentralized Knowledge Specialized Integrated Some Workers All Workers  Work Design Jobs Functional/ Cross-functional Teams Organizational Structure Vertical Customer-Supplier Hierarchies Networks

 Employee Job Task Work Unit PerformanceResponsibility Performance Business Process Management  Career Progression Vertical Vertical and Horizontal Limited Range Full Range

Source: Adapted from Schray and Sheets (2002)

Workers Competing on Innovation:The Future of Routine Work Businesses constantly fight commoditization and Businesses constantly fight commoditization and

price competitionprice competition Workers must constantly drive and support Workers must constantly drive and support

innovation or face the future of routine work:innovation or face the future of routine work: Automation---growing capabilities of Automation---growing capabilities of

technology to perform routine worktechnology to perform routine work Outsourcing—sourcing globally on priceOutsourcing—sourcing globally on price Devaluation—wage competition among Devaluation—wage competition among

growing global workforce with rising general growing global workforce with rising general skill levelsskill levels

Innovation Talent Pool Customer Focus—understanding needs and what customer is Customer Focus—understanding needs and what customer is

trying to get done trying to get done Business Entrepreneurship—thinking like a business in fast-paced, Business Entrepreneurship—thinking like a business in fast-paced,

changing environmentchanging environment Specialized and Multidisciplinary and Cross-Functional Skills—Specialized and Multidisciplinary and Cross-Functional Skills—

innovation occurs at the intersection of different fields and innovation occurs at the intersection of different fields and functionsfunctions

Collaboration Skills—working with customers and internal and Collaboration Skills—working with customers and internal and external team membersexternal team members

Global and Cross-Cultural Orientation---open to different cultures Global and Cross-Cultural Orientation---open to different cultures and diverse perspectivesand diverse perspectives

Information Technology Skills—new platform for for work and Information Technology Skills—new platform for for work and learning learning

Building the Innovation Talent Pool:Balancing Depth and Breadth

Depth: Expert Role PerformersDepth: Expert Role Performers Beyond routine job performanceBeyond routine job performance Strengthening academic/technical knowledge Strengthening academic/technical knowledge

and skillsand skills Breadth: Career EntrepreneursBreadth: Career Entrepreneurs

Business entrepreneurshipBusiness entrepreneurship Business process managementBusiness process management Career and learning managementCareer and learning management

Building the Innovation Talent Pool:Maintaining the Line of Sight

Business Entrepreneur—understanding the business model Business Entrepreneur—understanding the business model and how core business processes add value to the business and how core business processes add value to the business and maintain sustainable competitive advantagesand maintain sustainable competitive advantages

Business Process Manager—understanding how to manage Business Process Manager—understanding how to manage and improve the performance of the most critical business and improve the performance of the most critical business processesprocesses

Team Leader---understanding how the work team can best Team Leader---understanding how the work team can best contribute to the performance and constant improvement contribute to the performance and constant improvement of the most critical business processesof the most critical business processes

Expert Role Performer---understanding how you can best Expert Role Performer---understanding how you can best add value to the work team in ways that add value to the add value to the work team in ways that add value to the core business processes and the business as a wholecore business processes and the business as a whole

Solution: Career Clusters

Depth: Career SpecialtiesDepth: Career Specialties Connecting to degrees/certificates and industry Connecting to degrees/certificates and industry

certifications with market valuecertifications with market value Breadth: Foundations and PathwaysBreadth: Foundations and Pathways

Foundations—career management, business Foundations—career management, business systems, new workplace basics, academic and systems, new workplace basics, academic and technical knowledge and skillstechnical knowledge and skills

Pathways—managing and improving business Pathways—managing and improving business processes and more focused and integrated skill processes and more focused and integrated skill applications applications

Focusing Career Pathways on Critical Business Processes Critical to innovation capacity in businessesCritical to innovation capacity in businesses Managing and improving critical end-to-end Managing and improving critical end-to-end

business processes and functionsbusiness processes and functions Product realizationProduct realization IT system life cycleIT system life cycle Logistics planningLogistics planning Merchandise planningMerchandise planning

Must move to higher-level and broader Must move to higher-level and broader applications (Figure 2)applications (Figure 2)

Figure 2: Addressing Complete Business Functions and End-to-End Processes

Processes(Tasks and results)

Occupational Cluster 1

Occupational Cluster 2

Occupational Cluster 3

Task 1 

 

   

 

Task 2 

   

 

Task 3 

     

  

Task 4 

     

  Occupational Roles

Why Focus on Innovation and Business Processes? Linkage to Economic Development—Building the Linkage to Economic Development—Building the

Innovation Talent PoolInnovation Talent Pool Innovation skills best addressed in context of business Innovation skills best addressed in context of business

processesprocesses Business process management and improvement are Business process management and improvement are

critical to innovation capacitycritical to innovation capacity Provides the basis for business-education partnerships Provides the basis for business-education partnerships

at the postsecondary and secondary levels.at the postsecondary and secondary levels. Linkage to Education ReformLinkage to Education Reform

Provides the basis for higher-level academic integration Provides the basis for higher-level academic integration while focusing on authentic work.while focusing on authentic work.

K-12 career development—provides the missing link of K-12 career development—provides the missing link of career exploration career exploration

Key Foundation Components

InnovationInnovationMethods/

Tools

Entrepreneurship

STEMFoundations and

Leading Technologies

New Workplace

Skills

Key Foundation Components

Entrepreneurship—taking risks and creating and Entrepreneurship—taking risks and creating and capturing valuecapturing value Understanding central role of business models in Understanding central role of business models in

creating and capturing valuecreating and capturing value Managing business processes—Adding value to core Managing business processes—Adding value to core

business processesbusiness processes STEM Foundations and Leading TechnologySTEM Foundations and Leading Technology

Strong interdisciplinary foundations and related fields Strong interdisciplinary foundations and related fields (e.g., design, social sciences)(e.g., design, social sciences)

Working knowledge of critical technologies within Working knowledge of critical technologies within career cluster/pathwaycareer cluster/pathway

Key Foundation Components

Innovation Methods and Tools—Discipline of Innovation Methods and Tools—Discipline of InnovationInnovation Innovation is not just creativityInnovation is not just creativity Tension between generating new ideas and creating and capturing Tension between generating new ideas and creating and capturing

value better, cheaper and faster than othersvalue better, cheaper and faster than others Learning the general methods and tools of innovation (e.g., Lean Learning the general methods and tools of innovation (e.g., Lean

Six Sigma) Six Sigma) New Workplace Skills—Global CollaborationNew Workplace Skills—Global Collaboration

New workplace basics (e.g., critical thinking)New workplace basics (e.g., critical thinking) Global and cross-cultural orientationGlobal and cross-cultural orientation Customer and cross-functional team member collaborationCustomer and cross-functional team member collaboration New mass collaboration platform skillsNew mass collaboration platform skills

How To Get Started Establish state/regional industry consortia with economic and Establish state/regional industry consortia with economic and

workforce development partners in key career clusters (e.g., workforce development partners in key career clusters (e.g., manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, distribution and logistics)manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, distribution and logistics)

Develop and validate core business processes with industry partners Develop and validate core business processes with industry partners for each pathway in the selected career clustersfor each pathway in the selected career clusters

Determine academic, workplace, and technical foundations Determine academic, workplace, and technical foundations including innovation skills and business process management toolsincluding innovation skills and business process management tools—new foundations—new foundations

Align/develop specialty programs off the business process platformAlign/develop specialty programs off the business process platform Develop problem-based learning templates and examples that Develop problem-based learning templates and examples that

address innovation skills and business processes.address innovation skills and business processes. Develop templates and examples at multiple levels—career Develop templates and examples at multiple levels—career

exploration, career preparation and advanced preparation.exploration, career preparation and advanced preparation.

Example Core Business Processes for Career Pathways ManufacturingManufacturing

Product realizationProduct realization Process improvementProcess improvement

Transportation, Distribution, and LogisticsTransportation, Distribution, and Logistics Logistics planningLogistics planning

Information TechnologyInformation Technology IT system development and management (life cycle)IT system development and management (life cycle)

FinanceFinance Financial planningFinancial planning

Marketing, Sales and ServiceMarketing, Sales and Service Merchandise planning and managementMerchandise planning and management

Innovating Education

Where we are at now--sustaining innovations in:Where we are at now--sustaining innovations in: Content--What we teach (e.g., leading Content--What we teach (e.g., leading

technologies)technologies) Methods--How we teach (e.g., problem-based Methods--How we teach (e.g., problem-based

learning)learning) Organization—How we organize education Organization—How we organize education

(e.g., cluster-based programs of study) (e.g., cluster-based programs of study) Where we need to be—disruptive educational Where we need to be—disruptive educational

innovations to produce innovation talent better, innovations to produce innovation talent better, cheaper and faster than anywhere else in the worldcheaper and faster than anywhere else in the world

Challenges and Opportunities for Small Rural States

Small rural states face challenges because of lack Small rural states face challenges because of lack of scale and resources to support multiple career of scale and resources to support multiple career cluster and pathway programs including fewer cluster and pathway programs including fewer business partners and students business partners and students

The solutions to these challenges involve both The solutions to these challenges involve both incremental and disruptive educational incremental and disruptive educational innovations that all states need to do for next innovations that all states need to do for next generation career and technical education generation career and technical education

Small rural states have the immediate need and Small rural states have the immediate need and opportunity to get there first.opportunity to get there first.

Challenges of Scale

Colleges and schools cannot support the full range Colleges and schools cannot support the full range of career clusters and pathwaysof career clusters and pathways Funding, facilities, and equipmentFunding, facilities, and equipment Curriculum and teacher trainingCurriculum and teacher training Partnership managementPartnership management

Lack of business and industry partners to support Lack of business and industry partners to support full range of programs in most regions and full range of programs in most regions and communitiescommunities

Lack of career opportunities in many career clusters Lack of career opportunities in many career clusters and pathwaysand pathways

Solutions: Addressing Scale and Moving to Next Generation CTE

Broad career cluster academic, technical and Broad career cluster academic, technical and workplace foundations using Montana Career workplace foundations using Montana Career Fields and Clusters Model Fields and Clusters Model Example: Focusing on technical design standard across all clusters Example: Focusing on technical design standard across all clusters

in Industrial, Manufacturing, and Engineering Systemsin Industrial, Manufacturing, and Engineering Systems Dual credit solutions that integrate secondary and Dual credit solutions that integrate secondary and

postsecondary educationpostsecondary education Student-centered, individualized programs of Student-centered, individualized programs of

study using self-directed, problem-centered study using self-directed, problem-centered instructional approachesinstructional approaches

Solutions: Addressing Scale and Moving to Next Generation CTE Student teams from different programs of study Student teams from different programs of study

and different educational levels working on and different educational levels working on industry, government and community projectsindustry, government and community projects

Individual mentoring, apprenticeship, internship Individual mentoring, apprenticeship, internship opportunities for specialization in specific opportunities for specialization in specific occupational areasoccupational areas

Promoting entrepreneurship and innovation across Promoting entrepreneurship and innovation across all programs of studyall programs of study

E-learning and mass collaboration technology E-learning and mass collaboration technology platforms for supporting student team projects and platforms for supporting student team projects and individualized learning including specialization individualized learning including specialization areasareas

Summary: Two Questions How should states implement career clusters to support How should states implement career clusters to support

state economic development and expand career state economic development and expand career opportunities for CTE students?opportunities for CTE students?AnswerAnswer: CTE should play a central role in producing : CTE should play a central role in producing innovation talent through career cluster frameworks that innovation talent through career cluster frameworks that have expanded innovation-centered foundations and have expanded innovation-centered foundations and pathways focused on managing and improving core pathways focused on managing and improving core business processesbusiness processes

How can small, rural states do this? What are the How can small, rural states do this? What are the unique challenges and opportunities and what can be unique challenges and opportunities and what can be done to address them?done to address them?AnswerAnswer: Small rural states should focus on solutions to the : Small rural states should focus on solutions to the problems of scale that also are key to improving CTE for problems of scale that also are key to improving CTE for all students including: full integration of secondary and all students including: full integration of secondary and postsecondary programs, student- and problem-centered postsecondary programs, student- and problem-centered instruction, full engagement of business, government and instruction, full engagement of business, government and communities in providing education, and an expanded communities in providing education, and an expanded e-learning and mass collaboration platform.e-learning and mass collaboration platform.