Exploring Careers for the 21st Century, 3rd Edition © 2023

Exploring Careers for the 21st Century, published by Pearson, provides a broad exploration of 21st century career opportunities and the rewards of different career pathways.

  • Authored by NFTE
  • For Grades 7-12
  • Set and achieve career goals
  • Prepare for industry-recognized certification
  • Learn to identify career interests, aptitudes, and learning styles
  • Connect academic achievement to real-world success
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21st Century Career Guidance Program

Essential, updated tools help students set and achieve modern career and academic goals.

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Highlights promising 21st century careers

The newly updated edition guides students through identifying the best career opportunities, planning for their future careers, and conducting career searches.

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Distinguished Authorship


Authored by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), a global educational nonprofit focused on bringing the power of entrepreneurship to youth in low-income communities.

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Emphasis on an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Covers basic skills entrepreneurs need, including communication and collaboration, creativity and innovation, critical thinking, problem solving, and more.

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Emphasis on an Entrepreneurial Mindset

The text prepares students for the Preparing for College and Career Certification Exam offered by YouScience™.

Exploring Careers for the 21st Century CTE Teaching Solutions

  • Engaging Activities
  • Investigate Career Profiles
  • Updated Features

Engaging Activities

  • Chapter Openers
    Chapter Openers lay out the objectives and provide individual and group activities to immediately engage students of all levels.
  • End-of-Chapter Activities
    End-of- chapter activities include Web Extra, Case Study, Answer It!, Write Now, Business Plan Project, Career Portfolio, and Career Ready Practices.
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Investigate Career Profiles

  • Career Profiles
    Career Profiles highlight a career and prompt the student to use available resources to investigate the skills, qualities, education, and abilities necessary to succeed in that career.
  • Career Facts, Tips, and Trends
    Career Facts, Tips, and Trends are boxed features found throughout the chapter that provide useful information to help the students put the concepts into real-world context.
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Updated Features

  • Margin Features
    Margin features enhance and support the text and prompt students to apply critical thinking and 21st Century Skills to covered concepts.
  • Open-Ended Figure Questions
    After important figures, an open-ended figure question asks students to consider relevant issues related to the figure and text.
  • Myth/Truth Sidebars
    Myth/Truth sidebar elements present common career misconceptions and the facts behind the truth.
  • Cultural Diversity
    Text examples, questions, and activities consistently incorporate cultural diversity themes.
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Access and interact with Exploring Careers for the 21st Century content to promote learning

Program Overview

See how this program provides essential tools for students to set and achieve their career and academic goals.

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Interactive eText Overview

Tour the engaging features of the Bookshelf by VitalSource® Student eText.

Online Platform for your Exploring Careers CTE Program

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The Bookshelf by VitalSource® eText platform features include search and navigation, bookmarking, note taking, creating personalized study tools and more. Students can access content anytime, anywhere, including 100% offline access. The latest enhancements to the platform even include AI generated assessment questions called Bookshelf CoachMe®.

Exploring Careers for the 21st Century Additional Resources

  • Downloadable Teacher Resources
  • Teacher’s Wraparound Edition
  • Student Activity Guide
  • Test Bank with TestGen®
  • Visual Aid Presentations

Downloadable Teacher Resources

Access the complete collection of Teacher Resources provided for Exploring Careers for the 21st Century, 3rd Edition.

Download Teacher Resources
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Teacher’s Wraparound Edition

The print Teacher’s Wraparound Edition includes Teaching Tips, Discussion Questions, and Lesson plans for a variety of student abilities.



Download Teacher Resources
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Student Activity Guide

Additional activities, writing opportunities, and reinforcement aligned to the Student Edition content.



Download Teacher Resources
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Test Bank with TestGen®

Teachers can quickly select questions and create tests that align with the textbook. With customization available, creating multiple versions for academic integrity is an easy process.



Download Teacher Resources
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Visual Aid Presentations

Available in both PowerPoint® and Articulate Rise, begin each class session with an engaging review of objectives and key vocabulary terms.



Download Teacher Resources
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Frequently Asked Questions about Exploring Careers for the 21st Century

  • What topics are included in the Table of Contents?
    Part 1: Careers and You
    • Chapter 1: Your Personal Strengths
    • Chapter 2: The Roles we Play
    • Chapter 3: Why We Work
    • Chapter 4: Exploring the Career Clusters
    • Chapter 5: Think Like an Entrepreneur
    Part 2: Career Preparation
    • Chapter 6: Skills for Success
    • Chapter 7: Academic Planning
    • Chapter 8: Communicating with Others
    • Chapter 9: Building Relationships
    • Chapter 10: Basic Math Skills
    Part 3: Career Development
    • Chapter 11: Technology and Your Career
    • Chapter 12: Career Planning
    • Chapter 13: Managing a Job Search
    • Chapter 14: Getting Started in Your Career
    • Chapter 15: Being Productive in Your Career
    • Chapter 16: Living a Healthy and Balanced Life
    Part 4: Entrepreneurial Thinking
    • Chapter 17: Starting Your Own Business
    • Chapter 18: Planning Your Own Business
    • Chapter 19: Managing Your Business
    Part 5: Financial Management
    • Chapter 20: Personal Money Management
    • Chapter 21: Personal Financial Planning
    • Chapter 22: Basic Economics
    • Chapter 23: Basic Business Financial Management
    • Chapter 24: Financial Calculations for Business
    Appendices:
    • A: Business Management Issues
    • B: Sample Business Plan
    • C: Joining a Student Organization
    • D: Language Arts
    • E: Math Review
  • What grade levels is this text appropriate for?
    Grades 7-12
  • What types of courses is this text best suited for?
    This program is designed for Career Exploration Courses in Middle or High School.
  • Does this text prepare students for any industry recognized certification?
    Yes, Exploring Careers for the 21st Century, 3rd Edition prepares students for the College and Career certification offered by YouScience™.
  • Who is NFTE?
    The program is authored by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). NFTE is a global educational nonprofit focused on bringing the power of entrepreneurship to youth in low-income communities. Since its founding more than 30 years ago, NFTE has trained thousands of teachers and educated more than a million young people worldwide.
  • What student resources are available?
    Available student resources include the print Student Edition, Student Activity Guide, and Student Edition eText on Bookshelf by VitalSource®.
  • What teacher resources are available?
    Available Teacher Resources include the Wraparound Teacher’s Edition, TestGen® Test Bank, PowerPoint® presentations, and Dynamic Rise Presentations.
  • What are the digital license options?
    Student access to the Bookshelf by VitalSource® eText can be purchased for 1 or 6 years.
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