Career Pathways

CAREER PATHWAYS

The Bethlehem Area School District is committed to assist every student focus his or her high school education on a deliberate post-secondary plan that matches the interests, skills, knowledge, and experience of each individual student.

About the Program: The driving force behind the Career Pathways program is that every student personalizes his/her career and educational plan beyond high school. Some students believe that learning ends with high school graduation. This attitude and belief system typically results in a low-paying, unfulfilling job, which in turn can impact the individual’s entire well being. Helping students recognize that they have direct control over the career path they choose is the challenge of Career Pathways.

A career path is a broad spectrum of careers that share similar characteristics and for which employment requirements call for common interests, strengths, and competencies. The U.S. Department of Education has identified sixteen (16) Career Clusters that were designed to help students focus on an area of interest and possible career path. BASD’s Pathways Program combined the clusters to create four broader and flexible paths for student exploration and instruction. The four Pathways used by the Bethlehem Area School District are as follows:

BUSINESS, FINANCE, & LAW

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING & MATH

ARTS, HUMANITIES & COMMUNICATION

HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

EDUCATION

It is recommended that students select a Career Pathway during course selection of their 8^th grade year. Students will then be able to examine specific careers and post-high school educational programs related to their Pathway. In addition, elective course recommendations and service learning options will be available to assist parents and students in making course selections that will be most beneficial to their academic and career goals. This information will help students see a connection between what they learn within the classroom and the skills they need for success in their adult lives and the work world.

Goals:

• To assist each student in determining a Career Pathway based on interest and ability.
• To provide a variety of course offerings that will prepare students for education/training beyond high school to meet individual career goals.
• To produce students who are responsible citizens, effective communicators, cooperative workers, and skilled problem-solvers.

Rationale:

What do you want to be when you grow up? The Pathways Program has been designed to help Bethlehem Area School District students answer this most important question. Students begin their journey by exploring personal skills, interests, and aptitudes through career assessments which supply them with ideas about how one of the four Career Pathways might “best fit” their personality.

Course Selection:

In this Program of Study, electives and other selected courses are marked with one or more of the above Career Pathways symbols. Students are encouraged to choose electives based on their interest in or curiosity about a particular Career Pathway. The guidance department will also help to guide you in your course selection.

Health & Social Services	Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math	Arts, Humanities, & Communications	Business, Finance & Law	Education
This is a pathway that includes a large and diverse group of careers. Human services involves careers that help people and families meet their needs, including education, social services, and mental health needs. The health and medicine career pathway includes careers that promote health, wellness, and diagnosis as well as treat injuries and diseases. Some of the careers involve working directly with people while others involve research into diseases or collecting and formatting data and information. Work locations are varied and may be in hospitals, medical or dental offices or laboratories, cruise ships, medivac units, sports arenas, space centers, or within the community.	Engineers and technicians design and build things. They are critical in all kinds of manufacturing, especially at the earliest stages when products and processes are being created and refined. A career in science is exciting, challenging, and ever-changing. Learners who pursue one of these career fields will be involved in planning, managing, and providing scientific research and professional and technical services including laboratory and testing services, and research and development services. The agriculture pathway prepares learners for careers in the planning, implementation, production, management, processing, and/or marketing of agricultural commodities and services.	Careers in the Performing Arts, Visual Arts or certain aspects of Journalism, Broadcasting and Film are careers that tap students’ creative talents. Careers in Audio-Video Communications Technology, Telecommunications or Printing Technology require strong backgrounds in computer and electronic-based technology and a solid foundation in math and science. All pathways require the ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written form. Information technology careers involve the design, development, support and management of hardware, software, multimedia and systems integration services. The IT industry is a dynamic and entrepreneurial working environment that has a revolutionary impact on the economy and society	The Business, Finance, and Law pathway includes careers in planning, organizing, directing and evaluating business functions essential to efficient and productive business operations. The finance portion of this pathway involves careers in financial and investment planning, banking, insurance and business financial management. The legal system impacts us in many ways, from buying a home to safely driving a car. Careers in law keep the legal system running smoothly and includes public services, jobs that serve and protect people, including law enforcement, firefighting, legal services, and the military.	The Education Pathway is designed for students who have an interest in becoming a teacher. Students will be exposed to the various elements of teaching and learning. Students will engage in and develop foundational knowledge and skills in the field of education, as they pertain to the learner, learning environment, pedagogy, and professionalism. This coursework in this pathway strives to provide students with an encompassing experience that provides preparation for educational careers ranging from the preschool to secondary levels. Ultimately, the pathway culminates in a dual enrollment experience in which students can choose a course of interest within an education program at one of our partnering colleges and universities.