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Career Exploration

Today’s world is made up of endless career possibilities and each year, jobs are even created that don’t currently exist. That’s why it’s our goal to help students explore career possibilities, align them with their interests and skills, and start down their individual path to success.

As a district, we align our career exploration program with the Future Ready Iowa initiative. That means we start with a broad view of career options and provide you with the tools and resources to go deeper as your interest grows.

To help students explore their career options and chart their education plans, career information is organized in the following framework:

Career Exploration Service Areas

Six Career Service Areas are used to help students visualize careers in broad categories. In Iowa, the areas are:

  • Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
  • Applied Science, Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing
  • Business, Finance, Marketing and Management
  • Health Sciences
  • Human Services
  • Information Solutions
Career Exploration Clusters Icon

The six service areas are broken down into 16 Career Clusters. Each cluster represents a group of careers that require similar knowledge and skill sets.

Career clusters are a great tool for organizing career options and help give students a guide for the things to consider when exploring pathways and occupations within the cluster.

Start exploring career clusters!

Career Exploration Pathways Icon

The 16 career clusters are further broken down into 72 Career Pathways. Each pathway represents a group of occupations that focus on a specialty within the cluster.

Career pathways provide students detailed information about the knowledge and skills needed to pursue occupations within the pathway.

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With endless career options, students are able to discover occupations that match their interests and skills. The career exploration resources and tools used by students will help them identify their occupational goals, plan for necessary training and education, and prepare them for success after high school.

 

Kuder Navigator, the district’s career information system, helps students explore and prepare for various options after high school. Students take assessments beginning in middle school that identifies their interests, skills and work values that are matched up to career clusters, pathways and occupations. Learn more about Kuder Navigator and how it is used in the district.

Student Login

Students login to Kuder Navigator through the Clever Portal.

Parent Login

Students can generate a Parent Access Code from their Navigator account that parents use to establish a parent account.

View instructions on how to set up a parent account.


The Future Ready Iowa website directly connects students to tools for finding education, training and jobs beyond high school. It uses Labor Market Information to identify the number of jobs, the average median income and what training is required within a geographically determined distance.

Browse Careers


David Moeller
Educational Support Leader
dmoeller@dbqschools.org
563/552-3082