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

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

• 2026-27 New Innovative CTE Course Application (Word 72KB 9/24/25)
• 2026-27 Renewal CTE Innovative Course Application (PDF 43KB 10/28/2024)
• Career and Technical Education Course Standards
• CTE Courses via VirtualSC
• Career Cluster Guides

Certifications

• Industry Credentials and Certification Application (12/1/25)
• 2025-26 South Carolina Tiered Certification List

Dual Credit for CTE Completer Status

• Expanding Dual Credit for CTE Completer Status
• To request new Dual Credit for CTE Completer status courses and programs complete the Expanding Dual Credit for CTE Completer Status Implementation Form. Questions about the Implementation Form may be directed to Dr. Eleanor Glover Gladney at eglover@ed.sc.gov and 803-734-3826. 
• SCDE Course Code Database

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 Guide

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