The vision of the Office of Career Readiness is to ensure that every student is prepared for success in postsecondary education, the workforce, and life by providing high-quality Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that are aligned with labor market demands and student interests. The mission is to provide leadership and services to districts and schools that support grade-level, standards-based curricula through the integration of academic and career and technical instruction for students in grades six through twelve. This mission is carried out while advancing the office’s vision of preparing students for college, careers, military, and lifelong learning through rigorous and relevant CTE program.

The Modernized National Career Cluster Framework Alignment

South Carolina is currently transitioning from the traditional 16 Career Clusters model to a more streamlined 14 Career Clusters framework. This change aligns with national efforts to modernize and better reflect the evolving workforce landscape and industry demands. As we transition our first step in updating the CTE Program website is to show the existing 16 Career Clusters aligned with the New Modernized Career Cluster. To get more details about the program alignments with each cluster, refer to:

Student Reporting Procedures Guide

2026-27 CTE Course and Program Guide

We are currently reviewing stakeholder feedback as part of this transition. The Career Pathways team invites CTE instructors and administrators to review the proposed programs in their subject areas and provide both positive and constructive feedback. Your input will help ensure programs effectively prepare students for continued education, industry credential attainment, and long-term career success. To participate, please review the proposed programs and related materials using the links below and submit your feedback for consideration.​​​​​​​

South Carolina Career and Technical Education Secondary Program Review Handbook 

CTE Program Proposals June 15 Update

SC CTE Program Feedback Submission Form​​​​​​​

Programs & Services

Original Cluster	New Cluster
Agricultural Education	Agriculture
Architecture and Construction	Construction
Arts, AV Technology and Communications	Arts, Entertainment, & Design
Business Management and Administration	Management & Entrepreneurship
Education and Training Careers	Education
Finance	Financial Services
Government and Public Administration (combined with Law, Public Safety, Corrections, & Security)	Public Service & Safety
Health Science Education (combined with Healthcare and Human Services)	Healthcare and Human Services
Hospitality and Tourism	Hospitality, Events, & Tourism
Human Services (combined with Health Science)	Healthcare and Human Services
Information Technology	Digital Technology
Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security (combined with Government & Public Administration)	Public Service & Safety
Manufacturing (combined with STEM)	Advanced Manufacturing
Marketing	Marketing and Sales
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (combined with Manufacturing)	Advanced Manufacturing
Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics	Supply Chain & Transportation
One Agriculture and Two STEM programs	Energy & Natural Resources

Additional Resources

Courses and Standards

• CTE New Cluster Framework - crosswalk of programs between old and new clusters 
• Career and Technical Education Course Standards
• SCDE Course Code Database
• CTE Courses via VirtualSC
• Career Cluster Guides
• 2026-27 Innovative CTE Course Application (1/22/26) – New Applications & Renewals 
  • New CTE Innovative Course Application Guidelines and Instructions
  • Renewal CTE Innovative Course Application Guidelines and Instructions
• 2026-27 Innovative CTE Program Application (1/22/26) – For new programs with multiple courses 
  • New CTE Innovative Program Application Guidelines and Instructions
• Innovative Course/Program Signature Page (1/22/26) - Use for New and Renewal Courses and Programs

Certifications

• Tiered Certification Framework Guide (2/5/26)
• Tiered Certification Framework 1-Pager (2/5/26)
• Tiered Certification Application (12/1/25)
• South Carolina Approved Tiered Certification List

Dual Credit for CTE Completer Status

• Expanding Dual Credit for CTE Completer Status (1/30/25)
  • To request an equivalency evaluation of a post-secondary CTE course to a secondary CTE course, please complete the CTE Dual Credit Course Equivalency Application.  
  • For a complete list of CTE Dual Enrollment courses, please see these instructions for How to Pull a Current List of CTE Dual Enrollment Courses from the Course Code Database in Satchel.

Advisory Committee

• Career and Technical Education Advisory Committees: Strategies and Best Practices
• Career Pathways Advisory Committee Toolkit
• Program Advisory Committee Tool Kit - ACTE

Instructional Material and Supplies

• Math-in-CTE Resources
• Comprehensive Listings of State Adopted and Supplemental Instructional Materials

Work Based Learning

• Work-Based Learning
• WBL Implementation Guidelines (9/22/2025)

CTE Videos

• South Carolina CTE PR Videos

Educator Certification

• Work Based Teacher Licensure
  • Developing Instructional Readiness for Educators of Career and Technology (DIRECT)

Facilities, Equipment, Technology & Materials

• Facilities, Equipment, Technology & Materials
• Equipment Inventory
• How to Equip CTE Learning Spaces for Success

Employability Skills

• Employability Skills Framework
• Integrating Employability Skills: A Framework for All Educators
• New World of Work Employability Skills Curriculum
• P21’s Frameworks for 21st-century Learning