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The Government and Public Administration Career Cluster focuses on jobs in government and public administration, one of the largest sectors in the U.S. in terms of number of workers employed. Careers in this field range from politics to planning and developing affordable housing, public transportation, and recreational areas, as well as the managing the preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods, and dealing with public health, social, and safety issues.

Career Pathways

There are seven career pathways in this career cluster:

• Foreign Service
• Governance
• National Security
• Planning
• Public Management and Administration
• Regulation
• Revenue and Taxation

For this career cluster, paths may include courses from other career clusters. For example, agricultural jobs will fall under the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (AFNR) Career Cluster; airport jobs under Transportation, Distribution and Logistics; and maintenance jobs under Architecture and Construction. Therefore, when working with students pursuing a career in government or public administration, it is important to remember that their career path may include courses from other career clusters.

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Teacher Resources

To help students learn more about careers in Government and Public Administration, download and distribute the Government and Public Administration College and Career Planning Guide. The guide makes an excellent critical reading assignment for students enrolled in a practicum course in this career cluster.

The Practicum in Local, State, and Federal Government is the only practicum course for the Government and Public Administration Career Cluster. The practicum is a capstone experience in which students learn advanced concepts of political science in a classroom setting while applying technical skills pertaining to government and public administration at a training site. Be sure to review the related Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) before you create the outline of training.

The work-experience for this cluster must be a direct mentorship by individuals in professional settings such as government, national security, or foreign service. As part of the practicum, students must complete a project using analytical problem-solving techniques and document the knowledge and skills attained in a professional portfolio.

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If you haven’t already done so, take a moment to bookmark TEKS for Practicum in Local, State, and Federal Government.

TEA recommends that students enrolled in the Practicum in Local, State, and Federal Government be in grade 12. Students must be participating in a coherent sequence of courses. As a prerequisite, they must complete at least one course in the Government and Public Administration cluster directly related to the type of work they will do at the training station.

Safety and legal considerations for students participating in the Practicum in Local, State, and Federal Government course are similar to work-based learning (WBL) experiences in business, finance, and law. Student mentors should provide information on specific safety and legal. Make sure each student receives occupation-specific safety training in addition to the general safety training provided in the classroom.

Pre-Employment Requirements

Depending on the nature of the placement, some training stations may require:

• background checks;
• fingerprinting;
• security clearances;
• safety and security training; and
• non-disclosure agreements.

To promote educational excellence in career and technical education, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) launched the Texas CTE Resource Center.

 

 

 

 

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Take a moment to bookmark the Texas CTE Resource Center website. Later, be sure to explore curriculum guidelines and instructional resources for the Local, State, and Federal Government Career Cluster.

Career and technical student organizations (CTSOs) provide students with additional opportunities to acquire and demonstrate skills and abilities related to their chosen career field. The CTSOs that most closely relate to government and public administration are listed below. Become familiar with them so you can help your students select the organization that best supports their career goals

 

 

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Take a few moments to bookmark the CTSO websites below to explore later. 

Business Professionals of America (BPA)
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
SkillsUSA Texas

 

 

Get involved in at least one career and technical education (CTE) professional association. They are excellent sources of cluster-specific teaching tools, ideas, networking, and mentors. The professional associations most closely related to government and public administration are the Texas Business and Technology Educators Association (TBTEA) and the Texas Industrial Vocational Association (TIVA).

 

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Take a moment to bookmark the links to explore later.

Texas Business and Technology Educators Association (TBTEA)
Texas Industrial Vocational Association (TIVA)