KBOR > News > 2004 > Release

BOARD OF REGENTS AWARDS CAREER CLUSTER GRANTS

(TOPEKA) – In an effort to enhance career guidance and educational access in the state, the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR), in partnership with the Kansas Department of Education, recently awarded over $200,000 to implement Career Clusters at five locations in Kansas.

Elkhart Public Schools (USD 218), Garden City Community College, the Northeast Kansas Education Service Center in Lecompton, Pratt Community College and the School-Business Educational Consortium in Frankfort were the first recipients of this grant. The Career Cluster concept provides high school students with the opportunity to explore 21st century economy career opportunities that are represented by sixteen possible career pathways. High schools adopting the concept will align curriculums by specific career clusters. This will give students the opportunity to explore various career options and to become familiar with the educational requirements of different professions. Private industries and educational institutions collaborated on the Career Cluster initiative and formed broad-based advisory committees for each of the sixteen clusters.

The sixteen Career Clusters are: 1) Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; 2)
Architecture and Construction; 3) Arts, A/V Technology and Communications; 4) Business, Management and Administration; 5) Education and Training; 6) Finance; 7) Government and Public Administration; 8) Health Science; 9) Hospitality and Tourism; 10) Human Services; 11) Information Technology; 12) Law, Public Safety and Security; 13) Manufacturing; 14) Marketing, Sales and Service; 15) Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; and 16) Transportation, Distribution and Logistics.

Community Colleges and Technical Colleges/Schools benefit from effective curriculum alignment with high schools that allows students to move seamlessly from secondary to postsecondary institutions. Colleges now have the opportunity to synchronize program activity with regional economic demand, resulting in positive regional economic activity. Through these efforts, high school graduates will gain a better understanding of possible career options as well as the economic benefit of pursuing a college degree. The Carl D. Perkins Tech Prep Career Clusters Implementation Grants were made possible by the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998, a federal program that was established to assist with improving student achievement as well as preparing Board of Regents Awards Career Clusters Grants students for learning through educational reform, innovations and continuous improvement in career and technical education.

The KBOR Office of Career and Technical Education assists the 30 postsecondary institutions benefiting from Carl D. Perkins funding with federal and state compliance issues, continuous improvement through data-based decision making and professional development to encourage and enhance innovative career and technical educational programming to meet the needs of the communities they serve and the state of Kansas.

The chart below outlines each grant recipient.