What IS a Career Cluster?

Luis A. Abioda. Ed.D.

College of Business and Management
West Visayas State University
What are the 16 Career Clusters?
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
Architecture & Construction

 The production, processing, marketing,

distribution, financing, and development
of agricultural commodities and resources
including food, fiber, wood products,
natural resources, horticulture, and other
plant and animal products/resources.

 Careers in designing, planning, managing,

building and maintaining the built
environment.
Arts, A/V Technology & Communications
Business, Management & Administration
 Designing, producing, exhibiting, performing,
writing, and publishing multimedia content
including visual and performing arts and design,
journalism, and entertainment services.

 Business Management and Administration

careers encompass planning, organizing,
directing and evaluating business functions
essential to efficient and productive business
operations.  Business Management and
Administration career opportunities are available
in every sector of the economy.
Education & Training
Finance
 Planning, managing and providing education
and training services, and related learning
support services.

 Planning, services for financial and investment

planning, banking, insurance, and business
financial management.
Government & Public Administration
Health Science
 Executing governmental functions to include
Governance; National Security; Foreign Service;
Planning; Revenue and Taxation; Regulation;
and Management and Administration at the local,
state and federal levels.

 Planning, managing, and providing therapeutic

services, diagnostic services, health informatics,
support services, and biotechnology research and
development.
Hospitality & Tourism
Human Services
 Hospitality & Tourism encompasses the
management, marketing and operations of
restaurants and other foodservices, lodging,
attractions, recreation events and travel related
services. 

 Preparing individuals for employment in career

pathways that relate to families and human
needs. 
Information Technology
Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
 Building Linkages in IT Occupations
Framework: For Entry Level, Technical, and
Professional Careers Related to the Design,
Development, Support and Management of
Hardware, Software, Multimedia and Systems
Integration Services.

 Planning, managing, and providing legal, public

safety, protective services and homeland
security, including professional and technical
support services.
Manufacturing
Marketing, Sales & Service
 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/process engineering.

 Planning, managing, and performing marketing

activities to reach organizational objectives.
Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
Transportation, Distribution & Logistics
 Planning, managing, and providing scientific
research and professional and technical services
(e.g., physical science, social science,
engineering) including laboratory and testing
services, and research and development services.

 Planning, management, and movement of people,

materials, and goods by road, pipeline, air, rail
and water and related professional and technical
support services such as transportation
infrastructure planning and management, logistics
services, mobile equipment and facility
maintenance.
Current Thinking & Economic Trends
 Many retirees.
 Shortage of skilled laborers.
 Losing many graduates with associate, bachelor and
graduate degrees.
 Shifts in workforce.
 Pace for technological change has picked up.
 Time for a call to action.
 More work is across content areas...an example of course
infusing technology with nearly any job.
 Development of partnerships between Business &
Industry and the educational arena.
Some Insights

Education is increasingly seen as an

investment in a person’s future. In a
global world economy, an international
understanding has increased economic
as well as social value. In the 1900’s
education was only behind
communication and health in terms of
increased expenditures.
Today’s students are
increasingly aware of the global
communities. Tomorrow, these
students became well-trained
and can speak different kinds of
languages.
 Today’s, the mega trends of
education, has rising demands for
transnational education offerings;
increase of user-pays for tertiary
education; global “war for talents”;
increasing labor mobility; edu-
migration visa policies; need for
credential recognition: English as a
global education language; seen as
an export industry-hubs.
 Growth in Tourism and Hospitality
across Asia-Pacific showed that
Australia has about 29 universities (out
of 38) and 11 large private hotel schools
+ 45 TAFE colleges teaching Tourism
and Hospitality. Thailand has about 74
universities. Korea has 87 (out of 210)
universities. China has 700 4 Year and
500 2 Year with 568,000 students.
 The growth of the World Tourism and
Hospitality Management over the past fifty
(50) years is dramatic. Tourism has
reached to 25 M in 1950 to 268 million in
2000. It is one of the most remarkable
economic and social phenomena of the
period. Today, the forecast indicate the
trend will continue with 1.5 Billion in 2020.
 Tourism is estimated to have been
responsible for 74 M jobs. Tourism is
estimated to have been responsible for
US$ 1.7 Trillion in GDP worldwide.
Tourism contributed 15% of the total
global GDP.
 The Philippines is known to be the
primary tourist destination in Asia
because of its strategic location in the
heart of Asia. There are 7,107 beautiful
islands with world-class hotels, resorts,
malls and shopping centers. It is the 3rd
largest English-speaking population in
the world, and it is well-known of the
warmth and hospitality of the Filipinos.
 It is for these reasons that the thrusts for
the growth of tourism industry are the:
identification of tourism as the sunrise
industry that will fast track the
development of the economy ;
coordination of the private sector through
its network of 129 local chambers, 136
trade associations, 1,383 corporate
 members and 35 foreign bilateral
business councils to accelerate
national tourism campaign and
leapfrog industry growth; forge
strong partnerships with national
government agencies and LGUs
for an integrated international
tourism program.
 In the Philippines, the projected arrivals
of tourist in 2008-2010 are from 14%,
16% and 18% succeedingly. The top
12 markets are Korea, Japan, China,
Taiwan, Hongkong, Australia,
Singapore, Canada, United Kingdom,
Malaysia, and Germany.
 The top ten tourist destinations are: Region
VII, with 454,003 tourists, Region IV with
299,265, Region VI with 217,212; Region
III with 146,835; Region XI with 61,432;
while the top Five Regional Destinations of
Domestic Tourists are: Region IV with
6,333, 78882; Region VI 1,135,812:
Region VII with 1001,421; CAR with
789,268 and Region X with 674,425.
 Tourism Super Region in the Philippines
includes North Luzon Agribusiness
Quadrangle (NLAQ), Central Philippines,
Mindanao and Cyberservices Corridor.
The Central Philippines Super Region is
composed of Regions 5,6,7 and 8 and
the provinces of Palawan, Romblon,
and Camiguin as well as an island of
Surigao and the City of Dapitan.
 These super Region has 51 weekly
flights with average seat capacity of
11,045 from major tourist markets.
They are located in the provinces of
Cebu, Aklan, Negros Occidental,
Bicol, Samar, Palawan, and
Romblon.
 Tourism Revenues from Central
Philippines reached P83.82 Billion in
2005, with the Western and Central
Visayas getting the lion’s share, ranking
in 38% and 35%, respectively.
 Results from 2005 Household Survey
on domestic visitors, April-September
2005, the most frequently visited places
are: NCR, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna,
Iloilo, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga,
Cebu, Pangasinan, and Albay
 Foreign Visitors Profile and Travel
Characteristics as of June 2005 shows
that 60.35% comprise of male, and
38.28% of female, and 98.54% travel by
air and 1.46% by sea. The average age
of travelers is 36.66% years old. The
purpose of visit with in percentage
shows:
 Holiday - 41.85%
 Business - 13.23%
 Official Mission - 0.11%
 Convention - 1.06%
 Others/Not Specified - 14.49%
 The hotel occupancy in Manila has
reached more then seventy (70%)
percent occupancy rate. First class and
Deluxe Hotels experienced robust
business growth never achieved in the
last five years. Investments in new
accommodation facilities are in pipeline.
 Study shows that the most popular
spending pattern in the Philippines is:
accommodation, retail goods,
restaurant, transportation, sports, and
leisure. The largest retail markets are
department stores and duty free shops.
In Metro manila, hotels got P1.5B,
airline P420M, and groceries and
supermarkets P344M.
 The Department of Tourism Heritage
Program includes: Government
Fortification Program; Decade of Healthy
Lifestyle; Private Sectors’ Wellness
Program; Organic Farming; Green Dining
in Restaurants; Booming Spa Cuisine in
Resorts; Healthy Cuisine in Hotels; Use
of Fresh, Natural Indigenous Ingredients;
Slow Cooking; Moist and Hot Cookery.
 The recommendations of the Department
of Tourism on these programs are:
Strengthening of the existing curriculum on
courses offering authentic Filipino cuisine
with emphasis in its well-being features;
conduct of researches, for a symposia
focusing on the development and
preservation of the Filipino traditional well-
being cuisine to pave way to its global
recognition;
 organize intra regional food cultural
exchanges to intensify the awareness
and appreciation on the well-being
features of the local cuisine; Sustain
cooperative efforts among stakeholders
in making the Filipino traditional well-
being cuisine as the healthy choice
towards a healthy lifestyle.
Pathway Model
 Career Cluster
 Information Technology
 Pathways
 Network Systems
 Information Support and Services
 Interactive Media
 Programming and Software Development
 Sample of Career Specialties/Occupations
 Network Design and Administration
 Database Development and Administration
 Digital Media
 Programming/Software Engineering
Career Cluster Knowledge & Skills Base

 Academic Foundations
 Communications
 Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
 Information Technology Applications
 Systems
 Safety, Health and Environmental
 Leadership and Teamwork
 Ethics and Legal Responsibilities
 Employability and Career Development
 Technical Skills
Purpose

 “To enable states to establish linkages among state

education agencies, secondary, and postsecondary

educational institutions, employers, industry
groups, other stake holders and federal agencies.”

Source: Career Clusters – Cooperative Agreements; Department of Education,

2000
Goals
 Curricular frameworks to easily transition students
into postsecondary education or career.
 Meet academic standards.

 Employability and technical skill training.

 Focus on career development.

 Allow students exposure to real world experiences.

 Have ALL programs working towards a seamless

transition.
Benefits
 A new framework for career education:
 Promoting academic achievement
 Fostering successful transitions to post-secondary
education and work
 Accountability through assessments
 Integrate into current programs.

 Common language for both workforce and education.

 Flexibility with adoption.

 Responding to the needs of the economy, providing a

job focus.
Challenges/Opportunities

 Time

 Funding

 Getting everyone on board

 Providing additional courses

Implementation Strategies

 Models being developed by CHED and TESDA

 Begin with Career & Technical Education
(CTE) teachers and counselors
 Develop electronic library of pathways
 Support available through Carl Perkins funding
 Involve ALL teachers eventually