Nebraska Career Readiness Standards
“A career ready person capitalizes on personal strengths, talents, education and experiences to bring value to the workplace and the community through his/her performance, skill, diligence, ethics and responsible behavior.”
— Definition of career readiness adopted by the Nebraska State Board of Education on May 5, 2010.
Nebraska Career Readiness Standards
The Nebraska Career Readiness Standards describe varieties of expertise that educators at all levels should seek to develop in their students. These standards rest on important “practices and proficiencies” with long-standing importance in career education. These standards and related practices are not limited to formal CTE programs nor to the middle school or high school level. Rather, these standards and practices should be used over and over again with increasing complexity and relevance by students as they progress through their educational pathway. The standards themselves do not dictate curriculum, pedagogy or delivery of content. Schools and colleges may handle the teaching and assessing of these standards in many different ways.
The Nebraska Career Readiness Standards were derived from extensive input from business and industry representatives expressing the most critical skills needed for employee and/or entrepreneur success. The standards were developed in conjunction with the National Career Clusters Framework. The Career Cluster Framework has been developed over the past decade with input from national business and industry committees representing the 16 comprehensive Career Clusters. In short, the Nebraska Career Readiness Standards provide a valid source of workplace expectations for all students to be career ready.
Nebraska Career Readiness Standards
— Unanimously adopted by the Nebraska State Board of Education on December 8, 2011.
Alignment: Career Readiness Standards
— Produced in collaboration with the North Central Comprehensive Center and the Standards Team Analysts at McREL.
Poster (17×22): Nebraska Career Readiness Standards
Nebraska Career Readiness Standards Checklist
Video: Nebraska Career Readiness Standards
The Nebraska Career Readiness Standards are an outgrowth of the Nebraska Summit on Career Readiness held November 3rd and 4th, 2009 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Detailed report of the Nebraska Summit on Career Readiness
The career ready individual…
![]() |
1. Applies appropriate academic and technical skills |
![]() |
2. Communicates effectively and appropriately |
![]() |
3. Contributes to employer and community success |
![]() |
4. Makes sense of problems and perseveres in solving them |
![]() |
5. Uses critical thinking |
![]() |
6. Demonstrates innovation and creativity |
![]() |
7. Models ethical leadership and effective management |
![]() |
8. Works productively in teams and demonstrates cultural competency |
![]() |
9. Utilizes technology |
![]() |
10. Manages personal career development |
![]() |
11. Attends to personal and financial well-being |