Connecting Workforce Development, Education and Economic
Development Through Cluster-Based and Career Mapping Strategies
The National Association of State Workforce Board ChairsThe National Association of State Workforce Board Chairs
August 25, 2003August 25, 2003
New York CityNew York City
Presentation Objectives
Provide an Provide an Overview of Career Overview of Career ClustersClusters..
Provide an Provide an Overview of Economic Overview of Economic Clusters.Clusters.
Discuss how we can strengthen the Discuss how we can strengthen the connection between Career Clusters connection between Career Clusters and Economic Clustersand Economic Clusters
Overview:
Career ClustersCareer Clusters
Career Technical Education Connects to …
Education ReformEducation Reform Workforce DevelopmentWorkforce Development Economic DevelopmentEconomic Development
Career Clusters: Definition
Career Clusters represent a Career Clusters represent a grouping of occupations and broad grouping of occupations and broad industries based on commonalities.industries based on commonalities.
Career Clusters: Titles Agriculture, Food & Natural Agriculture, Food & Natural
ResourcesResources Architecture & ConstructionArchitecture & Construction Arts, Audio/Video Arts, Audio/Video
Technology & Technology & CommunicationsCommunications
Business, Management & Business, Management & AdministrationAdministration
Education & TrainingEducation & Training FinanceFinance Government & Public Government & Public
AdministrationAdministration Health ScienceHealth Science
Hospitality & TourismHospitality & Tourism Human ServicesHuman Services Information TechnologyInformation Technology Law, Public Safety & Law, Public Safety &
SecuritySecurity ManufacturingManufacturing Marketing, Sales & ServiceMarketing, Sales & Service Science, Technology, Science, Technology,
Engineering & MathematicsEngineering & Mathematics Transportation, Distribution Transportation, Distribution
& Logistics& Logistics
Career Clusters: Model
Organizes the occupations, within Organizes the occupations, within each cluster, into pathways that group each cluster, into pathways that group the cluster occupations based on the cluster occupations based on commonalities.commonalities.
Career Clusters: Purposes
The 16 Career Clusters are an The 16 Career Clusters are an organizing tool for schools to offer a organizing tool for schools to offer a broaderbroader, , more durablemore durable preparation for preparation for the world of workthe world of work..
Career Clusters: Purposes
Establishes a common language – a Establishes a common language – a common framework for conversation common framework for conversation between education, employers and between education, employers and governmentgovernment
Provides better information about careers Provides better information about careers for parents and students, thus better for parents and students, thus better alignment between the jobs we have and the alignment between the jobs we have and the workers we haveworkers we have
Career Clusters: Purposes
Vehicle for improving CTEVehicle for improving CTE Alignment to the needs of the workforceAlignment to the needs of the workforce Improved and expanded program areasImproved and expanded program areas
Identifies academic, technical & employability academic, technical & employability skillsskills for a well-prepared, qualified workforce for -prepared, qualified workforce for employersemployers Cross-training, re-tooling and retraining the Cross-training, re-tooling and retraining the
workforceworkforce Preparation of the emerging workforcePreparation of the emerging workforce
Career Clusters: Advisory Committee
Membership includes more than 300 members on Membership includes more than 300 members on the 11 advisory committees.the 11 advisory committees.
Membership includes business and industry, Membership includes business and industry, associations, government agencies, labor and associations, government agencies, labor and secondary and postsecondary educators.secondary and postsecondary educators.
Membership is broad-based in terms of geographic Membership is broad-based in terms of geographic location.location.
Membership reflects occupations within each of the Membership reflects occupations within each of the pathways.pathways.
Membership is responsible for material Membership is responsible for material development.development.
Status of Implementation
Broad awarenessBroad awareness Alignment of state clusters to 16 clustersAlignment of state clusters to 16 clusters Statewide implementationStatewide implementation Local implementationLocal implementation Use in program approvalUse in program approval Use in broader high school effortsUse in broader high school efforts
Overview:
Economic ClustersEconomic Clusters
Defining Clusters
Geographically bounded concentration of similar, Geographically bounded concentration of similar, related or complementary businesses, with active related or complementary businesses, with active channels for business transactions, channels for business transactions, communications and dialoguecommunications and dialogue
Share specialized infrastructure, labor markets and Share specialized infrastructure, labor markets and servicesservices
Faced with common opportunities and threats Faced with common opportunities and threats Source: NGA: Governor’s Guide to Cluster-based EconomicSource: NGA: Governor’s Guide to Cluster-based Economic
DevelopmentDevelopment
Why Economic Clusters?
States should build sustainable competitive States should build sustainable competitive advantages for economic development.advantages for economic development.
Concentration, or clustering, gives businesses an Concentration, or clustering, gives businesses an advantage over more isolated competitors:advantage over more isolated competitors: Access to more suppliers and customized Access to more suppliers and customized
support servicessupport services Access to experienced and skilled labor poolsAccess to experienced and skilled labor pools Access to innovation, knowledge and Access to innovation, knowledge and know-howknow-how
Types of Economic Clusters Sector-CenteredSector-Centered
HealthcareHealthcare Information TechnologyInformation Technology Advanced ManufacturingAdvanced Manufacturing Transportation, Distribution and LogisticsTransportation, Distribution and Logistics
Science/Technology-CenteredScience/Technology-Centered BiotechnologyBiotechnology
Product-CenteredProduct-Centered Wine clusterWine cluster Furniture clusterFurniture cluster
Career Clusters and Economic Clusters:
Making the ConnectionsMaking the Connections
Why Make Connections?
Economic cluster growth and development Economic cluster growth and development depends on a globally competitive, specialized, depends on a globally competitive, specialized, and highly agile labor force at all levels in 21and highly agile labor force at all levels in 21stst century workplaces (See Figure 1):century workplaces (See Figure 1): Skill breadth and depthSkill breadth and depth Economic cluster “systems” knowledge to work Economic cluster “systems” knowledge to work
effectively in extended enterprises and effectively in extended enterprises and customer-supplier networkscustomer-supplier networks
Entrepreneurial and agileEntrepreneurial and agile Vertical and horizontal career mobilityVertical and horizontal career mobility
Figure 1: Work and Careers in 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)
Why Make Connections? (cont.) Provides a broader, more durable foundation for building Provides a broader, more durable foundation for building
public-private partnerships and engaging business and industry:public-private partnerships and engaging business and industry: Engage business and industry leadershipEngage business and industry leadership Manage curriculum integration and changeManage curriculum integration and change
Provides a better context for addressing:Provides a better context for addressing: All aspects of industryAll aspects of industry Career developmentCareer development High-level academic integrationHigh-level academic integration Secondary/postsecondary alignmentSecondary/postsecondary alignment Coordination with workforce development (e.g., career Coordination with workforce development (e.g., career
advancement projects)advancement projects)
How Do We Make Connections? Coordinate Economic/Career Cluster InitiativesCoordinate Economic/Career Cluster Initiatives
Business and industry leadershipBusiness and industry leadership Interagency teamsInteragency teams Statewide and regional coordinationStatewide and regional coordination
Build career cluster curriculum frameworks to support Build career cluster curriculum frameworks to support economic clusters economic clusters Foundation—“Systems” addresses all aspectsFoundation—“Systems” addresses all aspects Pathways—Focus on managing critical business Pathways—Focus on managing critical business
functions and end-to-end processes (Figures 2 and 3)functions and end-to-end processes (Figures 2 and 3) Specialties—Focus on occupations most critical to Specialties—Focus on occupations most critical to
competitiveness of clustercompetitiveness of cluster
Figure 2: Level and Scope of Cluster Foundation and Pathway Curriculum Content
Application Level
Occupation
Functional Cross-Functional
Design
Improve
Trouble-shoot
Operate/ Maintain
Scope of Application
Figure 3: Addressing Complete Functions and End-to-End Processes (e.g., product realization, software development life cycle)
Processes(Tasks and results)
Occupational Cluster 1
Occupational Cluster 2
Occupational Cluster 3
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3
Task 4
Occupational Roles
Connections: Recommendations
Address the missing link in states--Align Address the missing link in states--Align economic and career clusters economic and career clusters
Coordinate cluster initiativesCoordinate cluster initiatives Economic developmentEconomic development Workforce developmentWorkforce development Career and technical educationCareer and technical education
Build career cluster curriculum frameworks to Build career cluster curriculum frameworks to support economic clusters and provide broad-support economic clusters and provide broad-based career opportunitiesbased career opportunities
Contact Information
Career ClustersCareer Clusters
www.careerclusters.orgwww.careerclusters.org Kimberly GreenKimberly Green
202.737.0303202.737.0303 [email protected]@careertech.org
Pam StaceyPam Stacey 405.743.6850405.743.6850 [email protected]@okcareertech.org
Economic ClustersEconomic Clusters
A Governor’s Guide to Cluster-A Governor’s Guide to Cluster-Based Economic Development: Based Economic Development: http://www.nga.org/center/divishttp://www.nga.org/center/divisions/1,1188,C_ISSUE_BRIEFions/1,1188,C_ISSUE_BRIEF%5ED_4063,00.html%5ED_4063,00.html
Bob SheetsBob Sheets 630.505.4100 ext.229630.505.4100 ext.229 [email protected]@niu.edu