The National Career Clusters Framework (NCCF) had a comprehensive overhaul this June, taking the NCCF from a simple list of 17 industry clusters to an intersectional and interconnected system for thinking critically about career pathways. 

There are now 14 industry clusters that each fall under one of six larger umbrellas known as “cluster groupings” and have multiple “sub-clusters” within each industry. Some of the clusters are now known as “cross-cutting clusters” which means the skills learned for those clusters apply across most industries. For example, the new “Digital Technology” cluster is a cross-cutting cluster. All these clusters revolve around 12 central career ready practices that have 30 specific skills associated with them. 

Here is a table from the NCCF technical report showing what was combined, renamed, removed, or reorganized between the old clusters and the new clusters, followed by the new framework “wheel”: 

Cluster Groupings & Cross-Cutting Clusters

The six cluster groupings are defined by the authors of the framework as, “Large purpose-driven meta-sectors that help guide learners toward Clusters that are aligned with their interests, their sense of purpose, and the impact they want to make on their communities” (NCCF Guide Book). Here is a table showing the cluster groupings and their clusters.

*Cross-cutting cluster

The last three clusters in the table are considered cross-cutting clusters because they advance career readiness skills that are applicable across all industries. These large umbrella groupings help job seekers narrow down their job search, understand what kind of career they want to pursue from a “big picture” angle, and reflect on how their skills might transfer between industries over the course of their career path. For example, there is a lot of overlap in the soft skills needed in the Caring for Communities cluster grouping, because teachers, nurses, and police officers all need communication and conflict resolution skills. 

Clusters & Sub-Clusters

The 14 clusters are what we are most familiar with and can be called “industries.” The sub-clusters are new groupings within each industry of jobs that have very similar skillsets. Here is a table showing how these are organized:

*Cross-cutting cluster

Each sub-cluster has multiple jobs within it, so for example the “Skilled Trades” sub-cluster includes job categories like welder, electrician, and plumber. 

If your learners are just starting their career path, they might want to start at the cluster groupings and zoom into the clusters then the sub-clusters to explore career paths. Alternatively, if your learners are transitioning between careers, they might want to start with their own previous job experience and zoom out to the sub-cluster or cluster level to discover how their skills might offer them new opportunities in different but related lines of work. This strategic funneled approach makes career exploration a lot less daunting!

This slider shows examples of how the cross-cutting clusters apply to every industry. To download or print these images visit the NCCF project one-pagers for learners site.

Career Ready Practices

All the clusters revolve around a central pillar of 12 career ready practices that include 30 more specific job skills in each practice. The following table includes the practices and skills as well as an alignment between them and our WIN Career Readiness System courseware modules.

Once you get to know the new NCCF, we think you’ll agree that it provides a much more structured scaffolding for new and experienced job seekers alike. The O*NET Database has been updated to reflect the new framework, as well, in order to provide a consistent approach to career exploration across the nation. To find additional resources for administrators, practitioners, and students, visit the National Career Clusters Framework website!