Childrens Priority Occupation Badge Stickers
My artistic direction for the Priority Occupation Career Stickers focused on creating engaging, age-appropriate designs that introduce young students to high-demand careers in a fun and approachable way. Developed for the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce, the goal was to highlight priority occupations; careers with strong projected growth through visuals that felt exciting, clear, and easy to understand.
One of the main challenges was designing recognizable icons for each career so students could immediately identify what the badge represented. I researched simple, universally understood symbols and paired each one with a badge or ribbon shape to emphasize achievement and importance. Using Adobe Illustrator, I created 15 black-and-white badge designs labeled “Priority Occupation.” The black-and-white format keeps printing cost-effective while allowing students to color and personalize the stickers, making the experience both educational and interactive.
This Dental Hygienist badge is one of the 15 Priority Occupation designs created. Each badge highlights a high-demand, priority occupation. This design represents the dental care field, specifically professionals who help clean teeth. The tooth and dental mirror are widely recognized symbols of dentistry, making the career more identifiable for young students.
This Accountant badge is one of the 15 Priority Occupation designs created but one of the few with color representing the stickers ability to be colored in by students. Each badge highlights a high-demand, priority occupation. This design represents the finance and business field, specifically professionals who manage money, budgets, and financial records. The calculator and dollar bills are widely recognized symbols of accounting, making the career more identifiable and relatable for young students.
This Electrician badge is one of the 15 Priority Occupation designs created. Each badge highlights a high-demand, priority occupation. This design represents the skilled trades and energy field, specifically professionals who install, maintain, and repair electrical systems in homes, businesses, and other buildings. The light bulb and screwdriver are widely recognized symbols of electricity and electrical work, making the career more identifiable and engaging for young students.
This Firefighter badge is one of the 15 Priority Occupation designs created. Each badge highlights a high-demand, priority occupation. This design represents the public safety and emergency response field, specifically professionals who protect communities by responding to fires, rescues, and other emergencies. The fire extinguisher and flame are widely recognized symbols of firefighting and fire prevention, making the career more identifiable and inspiring for young students.
This Insurance Sales Agent badge is one of the 15 Priority Occupation designs created but one of the few with color representing the stickers ability to be colored in by students. Each badge highlights a high-demand, priority occupation. This design represents the insurance and financial protection field, specifically professionals who help individuals and businesses choose coverage that protects their health, property, and future. The hands holding a shield with a checkmark are widely recognized symbols of protection and security, making the career more identifiable and meaningful for young students.
This Engineer badge is one of the 15 Priority Occupation designs created. Each badge highlights a high-demand, priority occupation. This design represents the engineering and innovation field, specifically professionals who design, build, and improve systems, tools, and structures to solve real-world problems. The wrench, ruler, and pencil are widely recognized symbols of planning, designing, and building, making the career more identifiable and inspiring for young students.
This Mail Carrier badge is one of the 15 Priority Occupation designs created. Each badge highlights a high-demand, priority occupation. This design represents the postal and delivery services field, specifically professionals who collect, sort, and deliver letters and packages to homes and businesses. The mailbox and envelope are widely recognized symbols of mail delivery, making the career more identifiable and relatable for young students.
This Mechanic badge is one of the 15 Priority Occupation designs created but one of the few with color representing the stickers ability to be colored in by students. Each badge highlights a high-demand, priority occupation. This design represents the automotive and mechanical repair field. The crossed wrench and screwdriver are widely recognized symbols of hands-on repair work, making the career more identifiable to young students.
This Lawyer badge is one of the 15 Priority Occupation designs created. Each badge highlights a high-demand, priority occupation. This design represents the legal field, specifically professionals who provide legal advice, represent clients, and help uphold the law. The gavel and sound block are widely recognized symbols of the courtroom and justice system, making the career more identifiable and meaningful for young students.
This Plumber badge is one of the 15 Priority Occupation designs created. Each badge highlights a high-demand, priority occupation. This design represents the skilled trades and infrastructure field, specifically professionals who install and repair water, drainage, and piping systems in homes and businesses. The faucet and plunger are widely recognized symbols of plumbing services, making the career more identifiable and relatable for young students.
This Nurse badge is one of the 15 Priority Occupation designs created but one of the few with color representing the stickers ability to be colored in by students. Each badge highlights a high-demand, priority occupation. This design represents the healthcare field, specifically professionals who provide medical care, monitor patients, and support overall wellness. The nurse’s cap and stethoscope are widely recognized symbols of nursing and patient care, making the career more identifiable and inspiring for young students.
This Restaurant Manager badge is one of the 15 Priority Occupation designs. Each badge highlights a high-demand, priority occupation. This design represents the food service and hospitality management field. The chef’s hat is a widely recognized symbol of the restaurant industry, making the career more identifiablefor young students.
This Truck Driver badge is one of the 15 Priority Occupation designs created. Each badge highlights a high-demand, priority occupation. This design represents the transportation and logistics field, specifically professionals who move goods and materials safely across cities, states, and the country. The delivery truck is a widely recognized symbol of freight and transportation services, making the career more identifiable and relatable for young students.
This Welder badge is one of the 15 Priority Occupation designs created but one of the few with color representing the stickers ability to be colored in by students. Each badge highlights a high-demand, priority occupation. This design represents the skilled trades and manufacturing field, specifically professionals who join and repair metal parts using specialized tools and equipment. The welding helmet and torch with sparks are widely recognized symbols of welding, making the career more identifiable and exciting for young students.
This Priority Occupations badge is an additional design created to showcase high-demand careers across multiple industries. This design features a variety of recognizable work icons—including a gavel for lawyers, a chef’s hat and utensils for culinary professionals, a paintbrush for painters, tools for engineers and skilled trades, and a calculator for accountants. Together, these symbols represent the wide range of career opportunities available to students, making different professions more identifiable, relatable, and inspiring at a young age.