Student Workbook

The Career
Clusters
In this student workbook
you'll apply what you've learnt
about the Career Clusters to
your future pathways
Welcome
This workbook can help you extend your ideas
and thoughts about the Career Clusters, so that
you can apply what you've learnt to your own
life and career plans.

Follow along with the lessons and complete the

activities - each activity has been carefully
designed to get you thinking about what may
be possible.

We want you to be the one in charge of your

future, because when you know who you are
and where you want to go it gets easier to take
control.

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Unit 1 - What are the
Career Clusters
There are six Career clusters, and they help us think differently about how people
work.

The research shows us that when we think about work, most of us think about the
same key jobs as everyone else – I’m talking about jobs like ‘lawyer’, ‘teacher’,
firefighter’, ‘doctor’ – the visible jobs.

In fact, around half of all teenagers Half of all teenagers

aspire to just 1% of all jobs – that’s right,
50% of teenagers want to work in just
10 key jobs.

But the majority of adults don’t actually

work in these jobs at all – they work as
managers, salespeople, technicians, and
operators, and this is where the Career
Clusters come in.

Instead of using industries to group jobs

aspire to just 1% of all jobs
together, the Clusters are groups of jobs
that share a set of core technical and
transferable skills, key tasks, work
settings, and common outcomes, and
you’ll find people from each Cluster in
every industry.

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 What does this mean for you?

You'll grow, change, shift, and adapt throughout your career, and as you progress
you can use the skills and knowledge you gain in one job in your next job. But you'll
probably find that you stay within the same Cluster to some extent.

In fact, if you work out which Clusters are right for you, then you can use that
knowledge to look for jobs that suit your strengths in any industry you choose.

Let's take a quick look at the six Career Clusters:

Makers Informers Guardians

Makers 'make things
happen' - they grow crops,
build homes, repair
vehicles, and keep the
power on.
Informers advise, teach, and
guide so we can manage
our legal, financial, and
social responsibilities, and
participate in society.
Guardians protect our mental
and physical wellbeing. They
provide medical care, fitness
training, safety awareness,
and keep us looking great.

Coordinators Linkers Innovators

Coordinators plan, prepare,
and administer our events,
systems and economy. They
play a vital role in making sure
everything runs smoothly.
Linkers help us find,
choose, secure, and use
things. They can help us
with products and physical
items, or with the services
and support we need.
Innovators design, engineer,
and manufacture things we use
in all areas of our lives, from
the clothes we wear, to the
food we eat, the homes we live
in and the roads we drive on.

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 Unit 1 Activity

Jobs + Clusters
To start thinking differently about work, match the jobs with the Cluster you
think they belong in. Remember though, some jobs could fit in more than one
Cluster....

Coordinator

Innovator
Guardian

Informer

Maker

Linker
Financial Planner ✔ ✔

Pilot ✔ ✔

Health and Safety Officer ✔ ✔

Curator ✔ ✔

Travel Agent ✔

Power Plant Manager ✔

Florist ✔ ✔

IT Support Officer ✔ ✔

Engineer ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Pharmacist ✔ ✔ ✔

How did you go?

This is a tricky activity, and it's ok if you couldn't make a decision about some
jobs. We each bring our own ways of working to each job, which means many
jobs will need you to work across multiple Clusters.

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Unit 2 - You'll find every
Cluster in every workplace
Every single workplace needs people from all six Career Clusters to be able to
function. This doesn't mean that you need to hire one person from each of the six
Clusters - it's just that every workplace needs the same sort of tasks to operate,
regardless of it's structure; and that they need to be taken care of by someone.

Let's look at how a cafe works as an example:

To run a coffee shop, you need someone to make the coffee (Maker) and serve the
coffee (Linker), but sometimes these are the same person.

You're also going to need an Accountant (Informer) to manage money, payroll, and
financial transactions, and a Cafe Manager (Coordinator) to coordinate the staff, keep
track of stock, and run the place.

A Food Technologist (Innovator) has developed the 24 types of nut milk you can
choose from *chuckle*, and as food safety is always important, a local Food Safety
Officer (Guardian) will pop by to ensure everything is up to standard.

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 Want more examples?

Check out these workplaces below. Keep in mind that most jobs allow you the
flexibility to complete your tasks in the way that works best for you, so you could
bring two (or more) Clusters together in many roles.

Primary School Airport Hotel

Informer - Teacher Informer - Legal Officer Informer - Accountant

Coordinator - Reception Staff
Innovator - Textbook Designer
Guardian - School Nurse
Linker - Enrolments Officer
Maker - IT Department
Coordinator - Flight Scheduler
Innovator - Aeronautical Engineer
Guardian - Biosecurity Officer
Linker - Flight Attendant
Maker - Air Traffic Controller
Coordinator - Hotel Manager
Innovator - Architect
Guardian - Lifeguard
Linker - Concierge
Maker - Housekeeping

Building Site Museum Marketing Agency

Informer - Surveyor Informer - Curator Informer - Strategic Director

Coordinator - Project Manager
Innovator - 3D Building Printer
Guardian - Site Safety Supervisor
Linker - Tool Sales Rep
Maker - Crane Operator
Coordinator - Collection Manager
Innovator - Experience Designer
Guardian - OH&S Officer
Linker - Tour Guide
Maker - Display Builder
Coordinator - Scrum Master
Innovator - Graphic Designer
Guardian - Diversity & Inclusion Director
Linker - Social Media Manager
Maker - Signwriter

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 Unit 2 Activity
Clusters you know
Pick a workplace you feel comfortable with and know a bit about, and
brainstorm some of the tasks that fall under the area of each of the six Career
Clusters. Remember - this is about tasks, not jobs.
Which workplace are you focusing on?
Hospital
Tasks that Coordinators do:
Coordinators in a hospital are essential for planning
and administering various aspects of the healthcare
facility. They organize and schedule appointments,
manage patient admissions and discharges,
coordinate staffing and resources, and oversee the
smooth operation of different departments.
Coordinators play a vital role in maintaining an efficient
and effective healthcare system, ensuring that patients
receive timely care and that staff can perform their
duties optimally.
Tasks that Linkers do:
Linkers in a hospital help patients and their families
find, choose, secure, and use the necessary services
and support. They can assist with navigating insurance
systems, connecting patients with appropriate
specialists, scheduling diagnostic tests or surgeries,
and arranging transportation or accommodation for
patients who require it. Linkers may also facilitate
communication between different departments,
ensuring the continuity of care and smooth transitions
for patients.
Tasks that Informers do:
Informers in a hospital play a crucial role in advising
and guiding patients and their families about their
legal, financial, and social responsibilities. They help
patients understand their rights and responsibilities
regarding insurance coverage, medical bills, and any
legal documents required for their care. Informers also
provide education on disease management, treatment
options, and community resources.
Tasks that Innovators do:
Innovators in a hospital contribute to the design,
engineering, and manufacture of various medical
devices, equipment, and technologies used in patient
care. They develop innovative solutions to improve
healthcare delivery, ranging from advanced diagnostic
tools to specialized surgical instruments. Innovators
also work on improving hospital infrastructure and
design, incorporating energy-efficient systems and
creating patient-friendly environments.
Tasks that Makers do:
In a hospital, makers are responsible for various tasks
related to infrastructure and maintenance. They
ensure that the physical environment is conducive to
patient care by repairing equipment, maintaining
facilities, and addressing any structural issues. They
may also grow crops or manage gardens if the hospital
has a self-sustaining initiative or therapeutic programs.
Tasks that Guardians do:
Guardians in a hospital are primarily responsible for
protecting the mental and physical well-being of
patients and staff. They include healthcare
professionals like doctors, nurses, and therapists who
provide medical care, diagnose and treat illnesses,
and support patients in their recovery. Additionally,
fitness trainers and specialists promote physical well-
being through exercise programs and rehabilitation
services. Guardians also ensure safety protocols are
followed, raise awareness about health risks, and
provide emotional support.
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Unit 3 - Where
do you fit?
We've been talking about the Clusters quite a bit, and you probably
already have a good idea of where you fit within the Clusters.

Most of us belong in more than one Cluster, and we can float

between them throughout our career (which means you're not stuck
in one Cluster forever).

There are also Clusters that are clearly not right for you. In fact, if
you work out which ones these are, you'll know to avoid choosing
careers which you would normally find in these Clusters.

Knowing where you fit can help you find work that suits your skills
and plays to your strengths. So you're more likely to enjoy it.

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One thing to be aware of...
Sometimes, people get a bit stuck with
working out where they fit, and when
they already have their heart set on a
career that conflicts with their Cluster, it
can cause issues.
It's ok if you know what you want to do
when you leave school, but sometimes
we fixate on a career because it sounds
good, even though we don't know all
that much about it.
If your chosen career-path and your
Cluster are in conflict, then it might be a
sign you need to do more research.
Here's an example:
Imagine you want to become a doctor,
but you're more of an Innovator than a
Guardian.
Lots of young people aspire to be
doctors (around 15% of all 15 year olds
actually), but there are lots of other jobs
in healthcare that are as well paid and
exciting.
If you find out that you're an Innovator,
but you still want to work in medicine,
you could look at careers in biomedical
engineering (for example) instead of
pushing ahead with becoming a doctor.
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 Unit 3 Activity

Which Cluster?
By this point, it's likely you've got a good idea of which Cluster suits you best.
But just to check, rate how you feel about each one on the scale below:

Are you a Guardian?

✔
doesn't sound like me sounds just like me
Are you an Informer?
✔
doesn't sound like me sounds just like me
Are you a Linker?
✔
doesn't sound like me sounds just like me
Are you a Innovator?
✔
doesn't sound like me sounds just like me
Are you a Maker?
✔
doesn't sound like me sounds just like me
Are you a Coordinator?
✔
doesn't sound like me sounds just like me

How did you go?

If you found this activity pretty easy, then you probably feel quite comfortable
with your Cluster choices - if not, maybe you need to reflect a bit more.

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That's it!

Workbook
Complete
Congratulations, you've completed
the Career Cluster Workbook.

You've learnt about the Clusters and

how they can be used to make better
career choices that reflect your
unique skills and strengths.

From here, it's time to explore - so

start looking for roles that align with
your Cluster and interests.

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e. info@ponder.education

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