According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 12,000 career options to consider!  One of the most effective ways to navigate among thousands of different occupations is Career Pathways. These are six broad groupings of careers that share similar characteristics and whose employment requirements call for many common interests, strengths, and competencies. The groupings encompass the entire spectrum of career options, providing opportunities for all students and all ability levels.

Career Pathways is a key strategy in the implementation of Michigan’s Career Preparation System.  Elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools across Michigan are being encouraged to integrate Career Pathways into their educational programs. They are finding that blending Career Pathways into classroom instruction improves student attendance, retention, achievement, career decision-making, and career goal attainment.

The Career Pathways System helps you to make meaningful connections between personal aptitudes and interests, education, and the world of work.  Personal aptitudes and interests are important factors to be considered when identifying career opportunities.  The Career Pathways System can help you examine your interests, talents, and goals and identify how these can relate to a chosen career.  In addition, the Career Pathways System enables you to learn through direct experience how school subjects relate to six broad industry sectors that are reflective of the current and emerging world of work.

The following is an overview of Michigan's six Career Pathways.

	Arts and Communications: careers related to the humanities, the performing, visual, literary, and media arts.
	Business, Management, Marketing, and Technology: careers related to all aspects of business including accounting, business administration, finance, information processing and marketing.
	Engineering/Manufacturing and Industrial Technology: careers related to technologies necessary to design, develop, install, or maintain physical systems.
	Health Sciences: careers related to the promotion of health as well as the treatment of injuries, conditions, and disease.
	Human Services: includes careers in child care, civil service, education, hospitality, and the social services.
	Natural Resources and Agriscience: careers related to natural resources, agriculture, and the environment.

For more specific information about each of the six Career Pathways, select one of the icons to the left.

To learn more about your personal interests and aptitudes, select from the following links:

Career Key (free)

MAPP - Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential (free)

Career Planning Self Assessment (free)

Online Personality and Career Interest Tests from LibrarySupportStaff.com - extensive list of links to online tests (free & fee-based).

The PersonalNature Career Assessment (fee-based)

For more information about Career Pathways and Michigan’s Career Preparation System, follow the links below:

Michigan Department of Career Development - Career Preparation System

Career Pathways:  Trends and Issues

Career Pathways in Michigan Schools:  A Success Story

Doug Freed
Director, Enrollment Development

Phone: 313 845-9710
E-Mail: dfreed@hfcc.edu

Copyright © 2003
Revised: January 18, 2006