CAREER PATHWAY

and

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

GENERAL INFORMATION

What Is a Career Pathway?

Career Pathways are large groups of careers that share similar characteristics and whose employment requirements call for many common interests, strengths and skills. Your chosen Career Pathway may be modified throughout your time in high school by working with the counseling staff.

What is an Educational Development Plan?

An Educational Development Plan, or EDP is a blueprint of all the classes that will be taken while attending high school. It will help you focus and plan for your chosen area of interest during high school and into post-secondary education. Your counselor can help in the selection of challenging courses that will be needed to provide you with the best preparation to be successful in your chosen pathway.

* Forms are available at the end of our Curriculum Guide to help in this process.

Why do I need to understand Career Pathways?

All students in the state of Michigan are required to align the classes they take with a Career Pathway. Following a career pathway makes it easier for you to identify career choices among the thousands of different occupations available to you.  Career pathways can help you develop a plan to prepare for your chosen career interest area. Your high school classes should be chosen based on your chosen pathway. Decisions concerning the type of continuing education that may be required after high school can also be made based on your career pathway. Examples of continuing education include: Apprenticeships, Two-year college degrees, Four-year college degrees, and trade specific Certification programs, (many are offered at the Community College).

How Many Pathways are There?

The State of Michigan and your Monroe High School have Six Career Pathways:

• Arts & Communications
• Business, Management, Marketing and Technology
• Engineering/Manufacturing and Industrial Technology
• Health Sciences
• Human Services
• Natural Resources and Agriscience

How do I decide which Career pathway is best for me?

Knowing how your personal interests, abillities and skills match to career pathways can help you begin choosing what fits you best. During your education at Monroe High School you will have many opportunities to explore and adjust your Career Pathway. Your Counselor and Career Development Facilitator will guide you through “Interest Inventory” activities  to determine which careers best suit your abilities and interests.

Who can help me understand Career Pathways?

Many different people are interested in helping you learn about Michigan’s Career Pathways including teachers, parents and other family members, our career development facilitator, counselors, community members, business leaders and business owners.

What is the Difference between the Technical and Professional Careers listed under each pathway?

Technical:  Students interested in these listed careers will be considering a community college, technical/trade school, or other post secondary training .

Professional:  Students interested in these listed careers will be considering a four-year college or university program as a requirement for a career level entry.

The Career Pathway Electives recommendations for each area are outlined in the following pages.

More information is available in the Career and Technical Education office (B-113), 734-265-3450.