Career Fields

• Agriculture, Food & Natuaral Resources
  Agriculture is the nation’s largest employer and is essential to Minnesota’s economy. Careers in the agricultural, food, and natural resources field include food, water, energy production, and environmental protection. Work may be strenuous and involve working outdoors. Advancements in technology have had positive effects in this field and jobs in urban areas are growing.
  
  
• Business, Management & Administration
  The business field includes career clusters in Marketing, Sales, and Service; Business, Management, and Administration; Finance; and Hospitality and Tourism. People who enter the business field should possess a number of abilities including working well with people, accurate record keeping, and good math skills.
  
  
• Communications & Information Systems
  The communications technology career field offers a variety of opportunities for individuals with a wide range of interests and abilities. Some careers allow an individual to use their talents in performing, communicating, writing, and/or creating. Other careers involve working with network and information systems. Individuals who enter this pathway should be creative, self motivated and disciplined. 
  
  
• Engineering, Manufacturing & Technology
  There are a multitude of careers in the Engineering, Manufacturing and Technology Field. They include careers in transportation, distribution, and logistics; architecture and construction; manufacturing; and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Individuals need problem solving, accuracy, patience, time management, and good math skills for many of the careers in this field. 
  
  
• Health Science & Technology
  Careers in this area include a wide range of positions of high responsibility in caring for the personal needs and well being of others. People who enter the health science technology path make important decisions that improve the quality of people’s lives based on their training and their judgment. 
  
  
• Human Services
  The human services field has a wide range of careers involving the care of others whether it is individual or for the good of society. Careers may be in law, public safety, and security; government and public administration; human services; and education and training. Courses in this pathway will give you the satisfaction of helping others and can lead to a career that will always be in demand.

Minnesota Career Fields, Clusters & Pathways chart graphically depicts the organizing framework of the foundation knowledge and skills, career fields, career clusters, and career pathways that Minnesota will use for developing programs of study in career and technical education. Once developed, learners at various levels (high school, collegiate, or workforce training level) will then be able to choose from several individual programs within a program of study in order to attain the specific knowledge, skills and abilities needed to pursue a career of their choice.