Official Site of The State of New Jersey
The law, public safety, corrections, and security career cluster prepares for careers in protecting and serving the public. People employed in this sector work to protect life and property, enforce laws, provide legal counsel, sentence defendants, and rehabilitate offenders.
Career Pathways
- Correction Services
- Emergency and Fire Management Services
- Law Enforcement Services Pathway
- Legal Services
- Security and Protective Services
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 from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) have been identified as meeting these requirements at the state level.
| CIP Code | Program Name | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 43.0103 | Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration | A program that prepares individuals to apply theories and practices of organization management and criminal justice to the administration of public law enforcement agencies and operations. Includes instruction in law enforcement history and theory, operational command leadership, administration of public police organizations, labor relations, incident response strategies, legal and regulatory responsibilities, budgeting, public relations, and organizational leadership. |
| 43.0107 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | A program that prepares individuals to perform the duties of police and public security officers, including patrol and investigative activities, traffic control, crowd control and public relations, witness interviewing, evidence collection and management, basic crime prevention methods, weapon and equipment operation and maintenance, report preparation and other routine law enforcement responsibilities. |
| 43.0104 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | A program that focuses on the criminal justice system, its organizational components and processes, and its legal and public policy contexts. Includes instruction in criminal law and policy, police and correctional systems organization, the administration of justice and the judiciary, and public attitudes regarding criminal justice issues. |
| 43.9999 | Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other | Any instructional program in homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting, and related protective services not listed above. |
| 43.0203 | Fire Science/Firefighting | A program focusing on the theory and practice of fires and fire-fighting. Includes instruction in fire chemistry and physics, combustible materials, computer science, building construction, fire codes and related laws, fire hydraulics, fire command, fire prevention/inspection, fire protection systems, fire suppression systems, fire/arson investigation, occupational safety, equipment operation, emergency medicine and communications. |
| 22.0302 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | A program that prepares individuals to perform research, drafting, investigatory, record-keeping and related administrative functions under the supervision of an attorney or court. Includes instruction in legal research, drafting legal documents, appraising, pleading, courthouse procedures, and legal specializations. |
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.
Obtaining an Industry Valued Credential (IVC) is a method districts can use to meet the requirement that a Program of Study culminates in the attainment of a recognized postsecondary credential. Previously, NJDOE analyzed credentials provided by the New Jersey Department of Labor and aligned them to CIP codes and assigned them a designation of Tier I or Tier II.
- Tier I IVCs were defined as stackable credentials and not eligible to be used as a pathway for Program of Study Status.
- Tier II IVCs were defined as advanced credentials and were eligible to be used as a pathway for Program of Study Status.
In 2024, the NJDOE proposed and gained approval from the Credentials Review Board for an evidence-based submission and review process to enable districts to offer additional IVC to students as a pathway for meeting legislative requirements.
| Certification Name | Organization Name | Credential Status | Applicable CIP Codes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
911 Dispatcher Certification |
National Emergency Communications Institute (NECI) |
Tier II |
43.0103, 430.104, 43.0107, 43.0203, 43.9999 |
|
Blood Borne Pathogens Certification |
American Heart Association (AHA) |
Tier I |
43.0103, 43.0104, 43.0107, 43.0203, 43.9999 |
|
Certified Protection Officer |
International Foundation of Protection Officers |
Tier II |
43.0103, 43.0104, 43.0107, 43.9999 |
|
CPR/BLS Certification |
Various |
Tier I |
43.0103, 43.0104, 43.0107, 43.0203, 43.9999 |
|
Emergency Medical Dispatcher Certification |
International Academies of Emergency Dispatch |
Tier II |
43.0103, 43.0104, 43.0107, 43.0203, 43.9999 |
|
Emergency Medical Technician |
National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians |
Tier II |
43.0103, 43.0104, 43.0107, 43.0203, 43.9999 |
|
Emergency Telecommunicator Certification |
International Academies of Emergency Dispatch |
Tier II |
43.0103, 43.0104, 43.0107, 43.0203, 43.9999 |
|
First Aid Core Knowledge |
Brainbench |
Tier I |
43.0103, 43.0104, 43.0107, 43.0203, 43.9999 |
|
Heart Saver CPR AED |
American Heart Association |
Tier I |
43.0103, 43.0104, 43.0107, 43.0203, 43.9999 |
|
IC3 Digital Literacy Certification |
Certiport® |
Tier II |
22.0302 |
|
NJ Fire Fighter I License |
New Jersey Department of Community Affairs |
Tier II |
43.0203, 43.9999 |
|
Special Law Enforcement Officer, Class One |
County Police Academy Certificate |
Tier II |
43.0103, 43.0104, 43.0107, 43.9999 |
Teachers of CTE Programs of Study must hold the endorsement aligned to the program CIP code. The following table provides the eligible CIP codes in this career cluster and the corresponding CTE endorsement an educator would need to hold to be able to teach courses and the program of study. For more information on endorsements visit the Certification homepage.
| CIP Code | Program Name | CTE Endorsement |
|---|---|---|
| 43.0103 | Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration | #4153 Law Enforcement |
| 43.0107 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | #4153 Law Enforcement |
| 43.0104 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | #4153 Law Enforcement |
| 43.9999 | Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other | #4153 Law Enforcement |
| 43.0203 | Fire Science/Firefighting | #4155 Fire Science |
| 22.0302 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | #4154 Legal Assisting |