Building linkages in IT occupations for entry level, technical and professional careers related to the design, development, support and management of hardware, software, multimedia and systems integration services.

Career Pathways

• Information Support & Services
• Network Systems
• Programming & Software Development
• Web & Digital Communications

Eligible Classification for Instructional Program (CIP) Codes

As stated in the New Jersey Perkins V State Plan, career and technical education programs of study must support career pathways meeting two out of the following three criteria, high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand occupations. The following CIP codes have been identified as meeting these requirements at the state level.

Industry-Valued Credentials

Industry-valued credentials (IVCs) are identified by the New Jersey Department of Labor (NJDOL) as:

• Valued — demanded by employers.
• Portable — skills learned are transferable and provide broad opportunities.
• Stackable — skills learned may lead to opportunities for continuous or advanced training and education.
• Rewarding — lead to higher wages, career advancement and or increased job security.

The NJDOE analyzed the NJDOL IVC list by cross referencing every credential for each Career Cluster and identified them as either a Tier I or a Tier II IVC.

• Tier I IVC — stackable credential
• Tier II IVC — advanced credential and available for CTE program of study designation.

Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO)

Each CTE program of study must provide students with the opportunity to participate in a CTSO. The CTSOs that are most aligned with this Career Cluster are:

• Future Business Leaders of America
• SkillsUSA
• Technology Student Association (TSA)(Computer Engineering only)

Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)

Jeffrey R. Victor, State Director
Kean University
jvictor@njfbla.org
NJ FBLA
National FBLA

SkillsUSA

Ralph Starace, State Director
SkillsUSA NJ
SCVTS
PO Box 6350
14 Vogt Drive
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
rstarace@scvts.net

Technology Student Association (TSA)
(Computer Engineering only)

New Jersey TSA
The College of New Jersey (TCNJ)
P.O. Box 7718
Armstrong Hall 103
Ewing, NJ 08628
Phone: 609.771.3336
Fax: 609.771.3330
Email: tsa@tcnj.edu

Resources

• Career Tech offers considerations when developing courses.  
• The Center for Integrative Research for Computing and Learning Sciences is designed to engage with the importance of thinking critically and strategically about the meaning of “broad” as the field conducts future-oriented research on learning and teaching technologies. 
• Cisco Networking Academy is a global IT and cybersecurity education program that partners with learning institutions around the world to empower all people with career opportunities
• The CS10K Community for Computer Science Teachers is a community of Exploring Computer Sciences and Computer Science Principles teachers sponsored by the National Science Foundation to support a goal of 10,000 trained computer science teachers in the US.  Many resources and supports are available.   
• The College Board has Advanced Placement Courses for Computer Science- AP Computer Science Principles, AP Computer Science A,  free virtual training for teachers and Computer Science Diversity award for women.
• The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NIST) is a nationally-coordinated effort comprising over 20 Federal departments and agencies, academia, and industry and is led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the U.S. Department of Commerce. The focus is on cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development. Located in the Information Technology Laboratory  at NIST, the NICE Program Office operates under the Applied Cybersecurity Division, positioning the program to support the country’s ability to address current and future cybersecurity challenges through standards and best practices.

Cluster Contact

it.careercluster@doe.nj.gov

(609) 376-9067