Career Clusters: Arts and Media | Business and Finance | Construction | Environmental, Education and Human Services | Government, Education and Human Services | Technologies |
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School-to-Career programs help students make the connection between the classroom and the world of work and employment. They help students and parents understand the relationship between learning and earning. Students are encouraged to take a more active role in learning about careers, in selecting challenging courses and exploring career opportunities after-school that will better prepare them for life following high school – whether they choose additional education and training or go right into the work force.
Career Awareness programs provide students with opportunities to explore career fields that mesh students’ desires and interests. These programs occur throughout all three years of middle school, and are part of the Middle School Program of Studies and are an integral part of the developmental guidance program.
The formal Career Awareness activities which take place throughout the middle school years are: The 6 th grade Junior Achievement Program; 6 th and 7 th grade after school Bio-Technology Program; 7 th grade Career Speakers Forum; 8 th grade Yale Lecture Series and the 8 th grade Career Project.
The culminating 8 th grade Career Project is an extensive month-long interdisciplinary unit between the School Counseling and Language Arts departments. This project culminates in a Career Night with professionals representing the variety of career clusters.
Career Centers are located in the Media Center of both middle schools, and are supplied with on-line resources and numerous reference books and periodicals on the subject.
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Career Clusters
1. Arts and Media
This career cluster includes jobs performing in theater, dance and music, and behind-the-scenes jobs such as set design, set lighting and camera work. It includes the visual arts, such as painting and sculpture, and the management of theaters, museums, art galleries and concert spaces, both classical and popular. Also in this cluster are jobs in radio, television, films, newspapers and magazines (for example, announcing, acting, filming, producing, writing, editing and reporting). Advertising is part of this cluster, as are jobs in commercial art, design and photography.
Examples of job possibilities : Musician, Actor, Camera Operator, Writer, Graphic Designer, Multimedia Developer
Course Offerings : Art, Family & Consumer Science and Music.
Co-Curricular : Orchestra, Sewing or Knitting Club, Mural Club, Broadway Babies, School Musical, School Newspaper, Yearbook, Art Club, Computer Club, Web Club, Literary Magazine, Young Author’s Creative Writing
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2. Business and Finance
There are still many jobs in “offices” in Connecticut , despite the fact that banks and insurance companies are restructuring the way they use their work forces. There are jobs for graduates with accounting backgrounds, for employees who can manage both people and money, and for others who make business decisions on developing and selling products and services. All offices depend upon well-trained administrative support staff people, who need to know how to use computers, fax machines, and other business and office equipment.
Examples of job possibilities: Administrative Assistant, Tax Technician, Computer Technician, Systems Analyst, Executive, Sales Manager, Financial Manager, Securities Broker, Underwriter.
Course Offerings : Information Processing.
Co-Curricular: School Store, Math Counts, CAMPY, Babysitting Club, Junior Achievement, Stock Brokers, Statistical Posters.
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3. Construction: Technologies and Design
The design and construction of homes, buildings, bridges and roads is a major category of jobs in the Connecticut economy. Some knowledge of the whole industry is a cornerstone for people who are interested in a range of different jobs – buying and developing land, designing or building projects, and so on.
Examples of job possibilities : Auto Mechanic, Facility Manager, Industrial Designer, Risk and Hazard Evaluator
Course Offerings : Tech Ed, Art, Information Processing
Co-Curricular : Robotics Club
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4. Environmental, Education and Human Services
This cluster includes jobs in which workers improve the indoor and outdoor environment, reduce waste and by-products, manage forests and land, produce food from the land and sea, and nurture animals. Workers with the skills to monitor air, water and land quality and control environmental risks are in demand.
Examples of job possibilities
Hazmat Cleanup and Response Technician, Instrumental/Optical Lab Analyst, Food Scientist and Nutritionist, Pollution Control Engineer, Recycling and Recovery Specialist
Course Offerings : Science, Family and Consumer Science, Health
Co-Curricular : Biotech Club, Yale Lecture Series, Garden Club, Bio-Bus, Anti-Tobacco Graphics, Health Fair
Wellness Committee, Weather Club, Dog Lovers Club
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5. Government, Education and Human Services
This cluster includes teachers at any level, educational administrators, political officeholders, government service workers, social workers, psychologists, librarians, public safety workers (police and fire) and legal professionals.
Examples of job possibilities
Child Services Worker, Parent Educator, Disability Specialist, Firefighter, Employment and Training Counselor, Urban/ Regional Planner, Parole and Probation Officer
Course Offerings : Social Studies, Health, and Reading
Co-Curricular : Spokes, KARE, Book Review, Swim Helpers, We the People, Amistad, Peer Tutors, National Geographic Bee, Junior Achievement, Pals, Book and Sandwich Club
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6. Technologies: Manufacturing, Communications and Repair
Planning, managing and performing the processing of materials into intermediate or final products and related professional and technical support activities such as: production planning and control, maintenance and manufacturing/ processing engineering.
Examples of job possibilities
Mechanical CADD, Industrial Robotics, Manufacturing Systems and Materials Manufacturing
Course Offerings: Technology Education and Information Processing
Co-Curricular: Robotics Club
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Revised: 5/8/06 |
