Career and technology education programs offer a sequence of courses that provides students with coherent and rigorous content. CTE content is aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in current or emerging professions.

This information is posted prior to beginning of each school year. It outlines the various programs offered at each applicable campus. Admission to any program offered is based on individual student’s interests and the pathway/endorsement selected and documented by their personal graduation plan.

Nondiscrimination in Career and Technology Education Programs

Career Pathways

Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
The Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources (AFNR) Pathway focuses on the essential elements of life – water, air, food and land. The people who work in the cluster include farmers and ranchers tending Texas crops and livestock; utility operators providing oil, electricity and natural gas; and conservationists protecting wilderness and wildlife. They put food on our tables and turn raw materials into products we all use. For students and workers in AFNR, the Earth is one giant classroom full of natural wonders to explore. If you love to be outdoors, enjoy caring for plants and animals, and want to help conserve our natural resources, then AFNR could be the right career cluster for you. (Adapted from Achieve Texas in Action Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources College and Career Planning Guide) For more information and videos about careers in AFNR, visit http://www.achievetexas.org/Agriculture.htm

Architecture & Construction
Look around you. You are likely inside a room in a building, maybe your school. You are in a structure that started with an idea in an architect’s head. He or she imagined how tall it would be, how many rooms it would hold, where the walls and doorways would stand. The architect drew up the plans that guided teams of people as they went about constructing and finishing the building – plumbers, electricians, masons, roofers, framers, interior designers and so on. And now that the building is finished, another team of people manage and maintain it, keeping equipment up and running, the spaces clean and organized, and the windows glistening. These are the people who work in the Architecture and Construction (A&C) pathway. If you like to design and build things, tinker with tools and technology, or decorate homes and offices with flooring, paint, furniture and art, then Architecture & Construction could be the right career pathway for you. (Adapted from Achieve Texas in Action Architecture & Construction College and Career Planning Guide) For more information and videos about careers in A&C, visit http://www.achievetexas.org/Architecture.htm

Arts, Audio Visual Technology & Communications
As Shakespeare observed, the entire world’s a stage. Whether it’s music, painting, drawing, sculpting, writing, dancing, or any other genre, artistic expression is all around us – on TV and radio, at the movies, in art galleries, on the Web, in our MP3 players. People who work in the Arts, A/V Technology & Communications (AAVTC) pathway may entertain and inform through an ever-growing array of new media forms such as cell phone ringtones, text messaging and shared online videos. A world of audio-visual (A/V) technology and communications professionals – including producers and directors, print and electronic journalists, website designers, video game programmers and multimedia artists – makes it possible. If you have a calling to be creative, yearn to express yourself, or love using new technologies, then AAVTC may be the right career pathway for you. (Adapted from Achieve Texas in Action Arts, A/V Technology & Communications College and Career Planning Guide) For more information and videos about careers in AAVTC, visit http://www.achievetexas.org/Arts.htm

Education & Training
Teaching, they say, is the profession that makes all other professions possible. The people who work in Education & Training (E&T) instill the knowledge and skills everyone from preschoolers to adult learners needs to succeed. These caring, capable, and committed professionals help prepare their students for the many rewards and challenges that personal, professional, and civic life brings. If you yearn to learn, feel a calling to teach, or would like to work in a favorite subject area, then Education & Training could be the right career pathway for you. . (Adapted from Achieve Texas in Action Education & Training College and Career Planning Guide) For more information and videos about careers in E&T, visit http://www.achievetexas.org/Education.htm

Finance
Money makes the world go round and there is plenty of it in North Texas. In fact, if our state were its own country, it would be the 10th largest economy in the world, ranking right between Spain and South Korea. There are about 750 banks in Texas and thousands more brokerage, financial service, insurance and accounting firms. Professionals who work in these companies manage investments and make loans, pay for storm damage, sell bonds and stock ATMs with cash and more. If you are good at numbers, want to play the stock market, or enjoy working with the public, then Finance could be the right career pathway for you. (Adapted from Achieve Texas in Action Finance College and Career Planning Guide) For more information and videos about careers in Finance, visit http://www.achievetexas.org/Finance.htm

Government & Public Administration
Government & Public Administration (GPA) touches every member of society every day. People in public service do the work that keeps society running smoothly, from building bridges to passing laws. They collect taxes and spend public funds on projects and programs designed to benefit citizens of a town, city, state or nation. They operate public services such as schools, parks, hospitals, airports, water and power utilities and more. Elected officials represent the voters in government and civil servants enforce rules and regulations so that society operates equitably and safely/ If you want to serve your community, run for public office someday, or protect our rights and freedoms, then GPA may be the right career pathway for you. (Adapted from Achieve Texas in Action Government & Public Administration College and Career Planning Guide) For more information and videos about careers in GPA, visit http://www.achievetexas.org/Government.htm

Health Science
Everyone needs health care. From newborns to seniors, North Texans require professionals who are experts at diagnosing and treating disease, using medical technologies and providing preventative care. Although everyone thinks of doctors and nurses when they contemplate career in health care, there are hundreds of other specialties available in the Health Science (HST) pathway, including technicians, skilled support personnel, dentists, and scientists. In fact, a typical medical center is a giant business with employees as varied as aides and CEOs. As the baby boomer generation in Texas ages, demand for health services grows, meaning that job security in the cluster is strong. If you feel a calling to care for others, won’t faint at the sight of blood, or want to pursue a profession on the cutting edge of technology, then HST may be the right career pathway for you. (Adapted from Achieve Texas in Action Health Science College and Career Planning Guide) For more information and videos about careers in HST, visit http://www.achievetexas.org/Health.htm

Hospitality & Tourism
North Texas is a top destination. People from around the globe come here to visit attractions, such as Six Flags Over Texas, The Six Floor Museum, The State Fair of Texas, various sporting venues, such as Dallas Cowboy Stadium and Texas Motor Speedway and more. Untold millions enjoy our wealth of hotels, restaurants, theaters, museums, and other attractions. Dallas boasts more restaurants per capita than any other city in the USA. The job of keeping the many visitors each year happy falls to workers in Hospitality & Tourism H&T. Whether chefs or concierges, travel agents or tour guides, park rangers or players for sports teams, the professionals in this career pathway are experts at pleasing the public. If you want to see the world, enjoy serving others, or dream of opening a restaurant or bed and breakfast someday, the H&T may be the right career pathway for you. (Adapted from Achieve Texas in Action Hospitality & Tourism College and Career Planning Guide) For more information and videos about careers in H&T, visit http://www.achievetexas.org/Hospitality.htm

Human Services
It takes a special kind of person to work in Human Services (HS). Although many jobs in the pathway pay well, those who choose Human Services generally don’t do it for the money. Instead, they are motivated by the desire to assist others. Psychologists, therapists, counselors, social workers, health aides, cosmetologists, financial planners, clergy members and other tend to the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of people in their hometowns. They offer helping hands to everyone from babies in child-care centers to seniors in long-term care facilities. The work is sometimes challenging, but the reward of knowing that you have improved someone’s life is immense. If you feel a calling to serve your fellow men and women, feel comfortable caring for people, or want to improve your community, then Human Services could be the right career pathway for you. (Adapted from Achieve Texas in Action Human Services College and Career Planning Guide) For more information and videos about careers in HS, visit http://www.achievetexas.org/Human_Services.htm

Information Technology
North Texas is at the heart of the Information Technology (IT) revolution. This area is home to world-class high-tech companies such as Texas Instruments, Verizon and AT&T. Countless smaller firms create computer games, set up custom networks, service computer equipment, or develop and manage websites. In fact, every business in North Texas needs IT expertise, either from in-house staff or from outside vendors. Keeping electronic data flowing takes both technical expertise and problem-solving savvy. If you are good at grasping how technology works, have an idea for a new website or computer game, or want a career that is always changing, the IT may be the right career pathway for you. (Adapted from Achieve Texas in Action Information Technology College and Career Planning Guide) For more information and videos about careers in IT, visit http://www.achievetexas.org/Information.htm

Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
Sirens scream. Bombs explode. Bullets fly. This is the image that many people have of careers in Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security. The truth is that these things do happen occasionally, but mostly careers in this cluster don’t involve constant danger. Instead, they concern the important daily duties of protecting and serving the public. What folks in this career crave is peace and quiet – that means that people and property are safe. As homeland security has become more and more of a concern, demand for people to protect sites as varied as skyscrapers and seaports, airports and reservoirs, and nuclear power plants and military bases has skyrocketed. If you have a calling to serve others, can keep a cool head under pressure, or love the law, then a career in Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security could be the right decision for you. (Adapted from Achieve Texas in Action Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security College and Career Planning Guide) For more information and videos about careers in LPSCS, visit http://www.achievetexas.org/Law.htm

Manufacturing
Manufacturing is making things. Raw materials become products such as cars, computer chips, cell phones, contact lenses, cosmetics, couches, clothes, candy and more. Employees who create those products range from production-line workers in factories assembling parts to executives in skyscrapers overseeing global operations. Repetitive tasks that typically occur in manufacturing are being performed by robots and the automation process, which requires highly trained employees that can adapt to a variety of situations. Manufacturing today needs people who can understand highly technical information and make complex decisions. Workers are responsible for creative problem solving that ensures companies meet the highest quality standards. If you like building things, can follow detailed instructions, or are good at organizing people and processes, then manufacturing could be the right career cluster for you. (Adapted from Achieve Texas in Action Manufacturing College and Career Planning Guide) For more information and videos about careers in Manufacturing, visit http://www.achievetexas.org/Manufacturing.htm

Marketing
Marketing is exciting, important and profitable. It’s one of the most important functions of business today. Marketing provides employment for millions of people. Many of the fastest growing and highest paying occupations in our economy are in marketing. People who are employed in marketing are responsible for research and product planning, advertising and selling, distributing products from manufacturers to consumers, providing customer service, assisting with financing and credit procedure and many other activities. Career opportunities are available in marketing to match your current and future interests and skills. If you like planning, organizing, communicating, evaluating and problem solving, then the Marketing could be the right cluster for you. (Adapted from Achieve Texas in Action Marketing College and Career Planning Guide) For more information and videos about careers in Marketing, visit http://www.achievetexas.org/Marketing.htm

Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
New discoveries are made every day. Scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians are pushing the boundaries of human knowledge by seeking to better understand and improve the world around us. North Texas boasts some of the leaders in STEM fields including Raytheon, Texas Instruments, Exxon Mobil, Lockheed Martin. They spend their time exploring everything from vast galaxies of stars to the tiniest subatomic particles. They invent the technologies that make our lives easier and more rewarding and develop solutions to problems that threaten our future. Thanks to the men and women on the cutting edge, we know more than ever before. If you are curious about the universe, dream of exploring new worlds of knowledge, or want to solve the planet’s problems, then Science, Technology, Engineering & mathematics could be the right career cluster for you. (Adapted from Achieve Texas in Action Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics College and Career Planning Guide) For more information and videos about careers in STEM, visit http://www.achievetexas.org/Sciences.htm

Transportation, Distribution & Logistics
Texas is on the move. Every day, everywhere in the northern, southern, eastern and western parts of the state, people and products travel hundreds of thousands of miles of roads, waterways, railroad tracks, and air routes – all because of those who work in Transportation, Distribution & Logistics. North Texas is home to Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport, Love Field, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad and several major intermodal distribution hubs. These professionals are responsible for ensuring that everyone and everything gets to the right place on time and that the lowest possible cost. This work ranges from repairing and maintaining vehicles, inspecting cargo and shipments and operating a forklift in a warehouse to planning traffic patterns in major urban areas, piloting commercial airplanes and supervising import/export operations. They are experts at planning, and project management, increasingly using technology such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS) satellites and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to track the location of shipments. If you are a mover and shaker, have a talent for organization, or yearn to see new places, then Transportation, Distribution & Logistics could be the right career cluster for you. (Adapted from Achieve Texas in Action Transportation, Distribution & Logistics College and Career Planning Guide) For more information and videos about careers in TDL, visit http://www.achievetexas.org/Transportation.htm