Career Clusters/Pathways

Georgia high school students have the opportunity to test drive a possible career by pursuing a Career Pathway, a concentration of three to four designated technical and/or academic courses that offer a seamless path to postsecondary work in college or technical school in a designated field. The creation and implementation of Pathways is a national trend as U.S. high schools prepare students for college and career in the 21st century. In Georgia, Pathways fall under 17 broad Career Clusters, ranging from Engineering and Marketing to Advanced Academics and Fine Arts.

State law requires 9th graders, with help from their family and school advisors, to select a Career Pathway to explore during high school, with the possibility of real-life experience in the field before graduation. Most, but not all, Pathways approved by the state are available in traditional Gwinnett high schools or one of GCPS’ specialized high schools—the Grayson High School Technical Education Program or Maxwell High School of Technology.

Students attending an Academy high school—currently Berkmar, Central Gwinnett, Discovery, Lanier, Meadowcreek, Shiloh, and South Gwinnett—will take both core and elective courses reflecting one of the available Academy Pathways, such as STEM, Business, or Health Science. Courses that make up a Pathway may be taken as an individual elective course, but the strength of the Pathway lies in completing an established program of study.

Students pursuing most Pathways, particularly those with a career or technical focus, may have the opportunity to take a culminating exam, finishing high school studies with an industry-specific certificate, credential, or endorsement. End-of-Pathway assessments are sanctioned by the Georgia Department of Education, and reflect national industry standards, national occupational as- assessments, or state licensures/state-developed assessments.

Clusters and Pathways in GCPS’ Traditional High Schools

Each Gwinnett County high school offers a selection of courses needed to complete an Academic or Career Pathway.

Not all Pathways are available in every high school.

Academic Pathways

• Advanced Academics— Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies
  Must indicate a progression and growth of knowledge and skills in the area, and include four credits in the core area (three credits in Social Studies) with at least one advanced course (Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or Dual Enrollment), and two credits in one world language.
• World Language— Chinese, French, German, Latin, Spanish, and Spanish for Native Speakers 
  Must indicate a progression and growth of knowledge and skills in area, and include three credits in one world
• Fine Arts— Visual Arts, Theatre, Dance, Music, and Journalism 
  Must indicate a progression and growth of knowledge and skills in area, and include three full credits in one of five areas (either general within the area or with a specialized focus).

Career and Technical Education Career Clusters

More than 60 Pathways are available in these 17 Career Clusters.

Pathways in GCPS’ Specialized Schools

Additional Career and Technical Education Pathways may be pursued through GCPS’ specialized programs.

The Grayson High School Technical Education Program— Commercial Photography; Cybersecurity; Culinary Arts; Entre- preneurship; Exercise Physiology; Graphic Design; Information Technology and Network Systems; Law and Justice; Music Tech- nology; Sports Medicine; Veterinary Science; Video Production

Maxwell High School of Technology— Architectural Drawing and Design; Automotive Services (I and II); Carpentry; Collision Repair (I and II); Cosmetology; Culinary Arts; Early Childhood Education; Electronics; Fire Science; Flight Operations; Graphic Design and Production; Health Science (Allied Health and Emergency Medical Responder); Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refigeration (HVACR); Law and Justice; Manufacturing; Programming (Apps and Game Design); and Welding