Career and Technology Studies & Knowledge and Employability

Career and Technology Studies (CTS) and Knowledge and Employability (K&E) pathways build on the Career & Technology Foundations (CTF) inquiry-based, hands-on studies for Grades 5?. CTS involves five main clusters composed of occupational areas with industry commonalities. 

The 5 CTS Clusters

• Business, Administration, Finance & Information Technology (BIT)
• Health, Recreation & Human Services (HRH)
• Media, Design & Communication Arts (MDC)
• Natural Resources (NAT)
• Trades, Manufacturing & Transportation (TMT)

Cluster Courses Include

• BIT: Computing Sciences, Enterprise & Innovation, Finance Management, Information Processing, Marketing & Management, Networking.
• HRH: Community Care Services, Cosmetology, Esthetics, Foods, Health Care Services, Human & Social Services, Legal Studies, Recreation Leadership, Tourism.
• MDC: Communication Technology, Design Studies, Fashion Studies
• NAT: Agriculture, Environmental Stewardship, Forestry, Primary Resources, Wildlife
• TMT: Auto Body Services, Automotive Services, Aviation, Construction, Electro-Technologies, Fabrication, Logistics (Supply Chain Management) 

Foundations | Grades 5-9

In Career and Technology Foundations (CTF), students plan, create, appraise, and communicate to explore interests and passions as they learn about various career possibilities and occupational areas. CTF responds to the context of the school, community, and student interests and passions, and as a result, looks different in every school. This flexibility allows teachers to design meaningful learning experiences for students.

At the heart of CTF are the four central processes: plan, create, appraise, communicate. Students engage in CTF tasks, alternating between the four central processes. These central processes span 28 different occupational areas. Occupational areas are categorized by five clusters (Human Services, Business, Communication, Resources, and Technology) and include disciplines such as foods, computing science, design studies, environmental stewardship, and construction, just to name a few. Each CTF task should align with at least two occupational areas. 

Because the four central processes can be adapted to any topic of study, students are emphasizing universal skills and processes, which makes learning more meaningful and connected than ever. Hands-on, relevant, and purposeful learning is very important to the middle years learner.