presentation of vocational education

Skills for work and life

UNESCO connects education to the fast-evolving world of work through its promotion of skills for work and life. Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) helps youth and adults develop the abilities, knowledge, values and attitudes they need to find decent work and contribute to building a peaceful, healthy, just and sustainable world. Worldwide 267 million young people aged 15-24 are still not in any form of employment, education or training. TVET contributes to the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) to 'ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’ and those of SDG8 for 'decent work and economic growth'.

What you need to know about skills for work and life 

Free and high-quality online trainings offered by members of UNESCO Global Education Coalition

UNESCO’s capacity-building programme in 26 least developed and crisis-affected countries

between the ages of 15-24 are not in employment, education or training

at upper secondary level are women as opposed to 49% in general education

are foreign-born workers playing a growing role in the labour force

(around 38% of the global workforce) risk job loss or displacement

Key databases

Contains key descriptive information about TVET around the world

Presents a selection of effective and innovative programmes and initiatives around the world

Online resource center for TVET experts, practitioners and students

Vocational Education: An International Perspective

Vocational education is formal education about work, and vocational programs of study typically target a narrow subset of middle-income occupations. In this chapter, we trace vocational education from competing 20th century education philosophies to its varied structures throughout the 21st century world. We then review the body of economic research on labor market returns to vocational education. Three themes from this rapidly expanding literature are that (1) workers with a vocational education tend to have a flatter age-employment profile than workers with an academic education, (2) individuals who seek and gain access to more secondary vocational education tend to have better attainment and early-career outcomes, whereas the effects of large-scale changes to tracking in secondary grades are more ambiguous; and (3) vocational postsecondary education is associated with improved labor market outcomes relative to no or incomplete postsecondary education, particularly for multi-year programs. We close by highlighting areas where more empirical research is needed, which include a deeper understanding of the long-term and inter-generational effects of vocational education on stability and growth in earnings, and the effects of vocational education in the developing world.

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Pedagogical Approaches to Vocational Education

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The thesis of this chapter is that a disconnect exists between the goals of vocational education and the pedagogies most effective in the achievement of those goals. The chapter will describe the current situation, propose frameworks within which a critique of the current situation can be made and then make some conclusions about the elements of appropriate pedagogical practice.

The context for this chapter is the situation in Australia. It is acknowledged that the place of vocational education in different countries varies, but it is hoped that the discussion about the relationship between the goals of education and the pedagogies to achieve those goals will be applicable to a range of contexts.

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Williams, P.J. (2020). Pedagogical Approaches to Vocational Education. In: Williams, P.J., Barlex, D. (eds) Pedagogy for Technology Education in Secondary Schools. Contemporary Issues in Technology Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41548-8_14

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What we know about Career and Technical Education in high school

Subscribe to the center for economic security and opportunity newsletter, brian a. jacob brian a. jacob walter h. annenberg professor of education policy; professor of economics, and professor of education - university of michigan, former brookings expert.

October 5, 2017

• 17 min read

Career and technical education (CTE) has traditionally played an important role in U.S. secondary schools. The first federal law providing funding for vocational education was passed in 1917, even before education was compulsory in every state. 1

CTE encompasses a wide range of activities intended to simultaneously provide students with skills demanded in the labor market while preparing them for post-secondary degrees in technical fields. Activities include not only specific career-oriented classes, but also internships, apprenticeships and in-school programs designed to foster work readiness.

CTE advocates cite several goals of career-oriented learning experiences. For non-college-bound students, CTE can provide hands-on training that translates directly to attractive careers upon graduation. Work-related or internship-like experiences that are often a part of CTE can teach students the “soft skills” necessary in the labor market. Finally, by integrating academic skills into a “real world” context, advocates claim that CTE can motivate students to attend school more frequently and be more engaged, and therefore improve core academic skills.

However, CTE has been on the decline for several decades. Starting in the 1980s, states increased the number of courses required for high school graduation, and began mandating students take additional courses in core academic areas such as math, science, social studies and foreign language. 2 These additional requirements, along with declining funding 3 and a growing perception that all young people should be encouraged to obtain a four-year college degree, led to a sharp decline in CTE participation. Between 1990 and 2009, the number of CTE credits earned by U.S. high school students dropped by 14 percent. 4

The past decade has seen a resurgence in interest in CTE. Scholarship in the area of education and the labor market has increased markedly. 5 In the past four years alone, media mentions of “career and technical education” have quadrupled. 6 In 2015 alone, 39 states instituted 125 new laws, policies or regulations relating to CTE, many of which increased state funding for such programs. Montana, for example, doubled the annual statewide appropriation for secondary CTE; Nevada tripled its funding. 7

Unfortunately, research on CTE has not kept pace with policy interest. 8

What does earlier non-experimental research tell us?

Prior non-experimental evidence suggests that students who participate in secondary CTE programs have higher employment and earnings than demographically-similar peers in the short run, but they do not necessarily have better academic outcomes. For example, many studies show little or no differences between CTE participants and comparison groups in terms of academic achievement, high school graduation or college enrollment. 9

A good example of this type of research is a recent study by Daniel Kreisman and Kevin Stange, which relies on data from the NLSY97, a nationally representative sample of 12- to 17- year-old youth in 1997 that tracks individuals over time.

They find that CTE participation is not strongly associated with educational attainment – CTE students are marginally less likely to enroll in college but no less likely to earn a degree – but CTE coursework does predict employment outcomes. Importantly, they find that CTE participation is associated with higher wages, with the increase driven entirely by upper-level coursework, defined as courses within a sequence beyond the introductory class, in more technical fields. Each additional year of upper-level vocational coursework is associated with a nearly 2 percent wage increase. 10 This suggests that the benefits of CTE education stem from in-depth study of a specific area consistent with the recent trend toward “pathways of study” within CTE. 11

As the authors recognize, however, the biggest challenge in evaluating CTE is that students typically self-select into such programs, or student choices are circumscribed by the types of programs offered in nearby schools. In either case, it is likely that students participating in CTE are different in many ways than other youth who do not participate in CTE – in terms of their personal abilities and interests, family background, etc. On the one hand, many observers have described CTE as a “dumping ground” for lower-achieving or unmotivated students. 12 On the other hand, because CTE is not the “default” pathway, the students who participate must be at least somewhat motivated and informed. 13

CTE can motivate students to attend school more frequently and be more engaged, and therefore improve core academic skills.

Kreisman and Stange attempt to circumvent this selection problem using what researchers refer to as an instrumental variables strategy. Simply put, they compare students across schools with different high school graduation requirements because, as they show, the greater the number of required courses, the fewer CTE courses students take. Using this approach, they find that the wage benefits associated with CTE disappear.

However, a key assumption here is that, after controlling for observable student and school characteristics, the students attending high schools with fewer graduation requirements are identical to those attending high schools with more graduation requirements. 14 As the authors recognize, this is a very strong assumption. If this assumption is true, it implies that students whose CTE course-taking is influenced by graduation requirements realize little benefit from it. Of course, it may still be the case that those who self-select into CTE benefit from it, and that prohibiting them from doing so would be detrimental.

A further complication is that virtually all of the existing research on CTE has focused on relatively short-run outcomes. This is a notable limitation because many believe that career-focused education involves a tradeoff – namely, learning a narrower set of technical skills that can provide short-run benefits at the expense of learning more fundamental skills that will better serve individuals in the long-run. 15 Indeed, a recent study using European data finds some evidence of exactly this type of tradeoff. 16 Given the changes we expect to take place in the labor market in coming years, and how often individuals might need to switch occupations, this is a potentially serious concern. Of course, advocates of CTE argue – with some justification – that career-oriented education today does aim to teach core academic skills essential to lifelong learning, and often does so better than traditional schooling, particularly for disadvantaged youth. 17

the gold standard

The single best way to avoid such selection problems and determine the causal impact of a policy or program is through a randomized control trial. While such experiments can be expensive and are often logistically or politically difficult, they have a long history in education policy research. Other research designs, known as quasi-experimental research, attempt to approximate the same design with statistical techniques.

According to the What Works Clearinghouse, for example, there are 83 programs with experimental or quasi-experimental evidence in the area of early childhood education, 39 programs for dropout-prevention, and 32 programs for English language learners.

In the area of secondary CTE, there is only 1. Yes, one. This study examined Career Academies in the early 1990s, before many of the occupations common today even existed and prior to the introduction of policies with important implications for secondary schools (e.g., school accountability). 18

Structured as distinct programs embedded within comprehensive high schools, the Career Academies provided students with career-oriented instruction in a particular field along with internships and other activities to prepare students for, and connect them with, the labor market. The schools in the study were located in or near large urban areas with predominantly low-income minority student populations. The Career Academy programs were oversubscribed, which permitted admissions to be determined by lottery.

Researchers found that Career Academies had no impact (positive or negative) on high school graduation, postsecondary enrollment or educational attainment. However, the study found that students who received the opportunity to attend a career academy earned 11 percent more than the control group. Interestingly, this positive wage effect was driven entirely by male students, who enjoyed a 17 percent earnings boost. Males defined as high-risk based on baseline characteristics (i.e. prior to high school) realized the largest benefits from the program. There was no significant difference between the earnings of females in the treatment and control group.

This single study has been cited hundreds of times, and is featured prominently in nearly every literature review and many policy proposals regarding CTE. While this was an extremely well-done evaluation of an important CTE model, it has important limitations. As noted elsewhere, Career Academies are a small component of CTE provision nationwide. 19 The study itself focused on a small number of sites which, as evidenced by their oversubscription, were perceived as high quality. 20

and then there were two

Compelling research on CTE recently doubled with the release of a new study of regional vocational and technical high schools (RVTS) in Massachusetts. 21

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Unlike the Career Academies described above, RVTS are entire schools devoted to career-oriented instruction. Students spend one week in the classroom followed by one week in a technical shop. While students in other schools have access to CTE courses, RVTS offer more variety in terms of the program of study, and the programs themselves are typically higher quality than those found in comprehensive high schools.

The author of the study, Shaun Dougherty, obtained detailed data on student applications to three RVTS. Because the schools are often oversubscribed, they admit students on the basis of their attendance, grades and discipline record in middle school. By comparing the educational outcomes of students who scored just above the admissions threshold (and thus were very likely to attend) and just below the admissions threshold (who mostly did not attend), Dougherty is able to account for the selection bias that has plagued prior CTE research. This approach is known as a regression discontinuity design. What Works Clearinghouse considers well-done studies of this type to provide evidence nearly as compelling as an RCT.

Dougherty finds that attending a RVTS dramatically increases the likelihood of high school graduation. Poor students are 32 percentage points more likely to graduate if they attend a RVTS, which represents a 60 percent increase given the baseline graduation rate of 50 percent. The effect for non-poor students is somewhat smaller, but still quite large – an increase of 23 percentage points from a baseline of 67 percent, suggesting a nearly 35 percent improvement. 22 At the same time, Dougherty finds that attending a RVTS has no impact (positive or negative) on the standardized math and reading exams that all Massachusetts students take at the end of 10 th grade.

where to go from here?

More rigorous research on CTE programs is clearly needed. To its credit, the Institute for Education Sciences (IES) recently initiated several new data collection and research grants in this area. The recent study by Dougherty is a great start, but only a start. Further progress requires a series of studies that build on each other, and examine different approaches to CTE. Because states play a large role in developing and overseeing CTE programming, they must take the lead. States have been very active in passing laws, issuing regulations and disseminating policies about CTE. States now need to step up and support a research agenda that can help ensure these new initiatives are successful.

The author did not receive any financial support from any firm or person for this article or from any firm or person with a financial or political interest in this article. He is currently not an officer, director, or board member of any organization with an interest in this article.

• The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 preceded the passage of compulsory attendance laws in Mississippi in 1918 , the last of the 48 states of the time to pass such a law.
• Jacob et al. (2017). “Are Expectations Alone Enough? Estimating the Effect of a Mandatory College-Prep Curriculum in Michigan.” Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis,39(2): 333-360. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3102/0162373716685823 .
• U.S. Department of Education (2014). National assessment of career and technical education. Final report to congress. Technical report, Washington, DC.
• Hudson, L. (2013). “Trends in CTE Coursetaking. data point.” National Center for Education Statistics, NCES 2014-901.
• Shaun M. Dougherty and Allison R. Lomarbardi. “From Vocational Education to Career Readiness: The Ongoing Work of Linking Education and the Labor Market.” Chapter 10 in Review of Research in Education, March 2016, Vol. 40: 326–355
• From 5,518 stories in 2014 to 22,755 stories from January 1 to September 28 of this year, based on author’s Meltwater analysis.
• http://www.acteonline.org/uploadedFiles/Who_We_Are/Press/2015_State-Policy-Review_FINAL%20(1).pdf
• Corinne Alfeld made this same point in an IES blog post earlier this year.  See https://ies.ed.gov/blogs/research/post/career-technical-education-is-growing-research-must-follow
• For good reviews of this prior literature, see Kreisman and Stange (forthcoming) and Dougherty (forthcoming).
• The benefits of upper-level CTE coursework is driven largely by those focusing in technical fields.
• While selection bias is still a concern, it is worthwhile noting that the authors control for a very rich set of covariates including student demographics, parental income, parental education, student AFQT score, freshman year GPA, state of birth and various school characteristics.
• See, for example, Kelly, S. & Price, H. (2009). Vocational education: A clear slate for disengaged students? Social Science Research, 38 (4), 810–825.
• Insofar as CTE programs involve travel to/from worksites, it seems likely that participation requires more time than a student would have to devote to a standard high school track.
• As the authors discuss in detail in the paper, there are two reasons why their instrumental variable results might differ from their OLS regression results. The first is that the students who self-select into CTE have some positive, unobservable characteristics that explain their success in the labor market. The second is that there is true heterogeneity in the returns to CTE – the students who self-select do indeed benefit from the experience, but those whose course-taking decisions can be swayed by their school’s graduation requirements do not benefit.
• http://hanushek.stanford.edu/publications/german-style-apprenticeships-simply-cant-be-replicated
• Among younger people, employment rates are higher among those with vocational education. However, this pattern reverses by age 50. These patterns are most pronounced in countries that have highly developed work-based education systems such as Germany, Denmark and Switzerland. See Hanushek et al. (2017). “General Education, Vocational Education, and Labor-Market Outcomes over the Life-Cycle.” Journal of Human Resources. 52(1): 49-88.
• http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/top_performers/2017/07/the_false_choice_between_vocational_and_academic_education.html
• Kemple, J & Willner, C.J. (2008). Career academies: Long-term impacts on labor market outcomes, educational attainment, and transitions to adulthood . MDRC.
• Kreisman and Stange (2016), “Vocational and Career Tech Education in American High Schools: The Value of Depth Over Breadth.” NBER working paper
• And, if one looks beyond the headline results, the detailed findings of the Career Academy raise a number of important questions about the mechanisms, and thus generalizability, of the impacts. For example, students in the treatment group reported significantly higher levels of interpersonal support from teachers and peers than their comparison counterparts. While Career Academy students did engage in work-based experiences that control students did not, researchers found that the curricula and instructional materials used in the Career Academies were similar to those used in other parts of the high school, and did not meaningfully integrate academic content with career-related applications. Together these findings suggest that the benefits of attending a career academy may relate as much to the school culture as the particular career focus, similar to the benefits of attending a small school or “school-within-a-school.”Bloom, Howard S., and Rebecca Unterman. 2014. Can small high schools of choice improve educational prospects for disadvantaged students? Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 33(2): 290–319.
• Dougherty, S.M. (forthcoming). “The Effect of Career and Technical Education on Human Capital Accumulation: Causal Evidence from Massachusetts.” Education Finance & Policy.
• These findings are consistent with some prior research suggesting that CTE participation can increase attachment to school. See, for example, the following studies: Plank, Stephen B., Stefanie DeLuca, and Angela Estacion. 2008. High school dropout and the role of career and technical education: A survival analysis of surviving high school. Sociology of Education 81(4): 345–370. Cellini, Stephanie Riegg, “Smoothing the Transition to College? The Effect of Tech-Prep Programs on Educational Attainment,” Economics of Education Review, 25(4), August 2006: 394-411.

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• Our Mission

Why Should We Care About Vocational Education?

Some years ago I was hired by Norway's Ministry of Education to train vocational education teachers. Having myself attended a comprehensive high school where vocational students were those who couldn't make it academically, and having taught in a suburban high school where there was zero vocational education, it was eye-opening to be in a country where vocational education had high prestige, was well-funded, and included students who could have gone to medical school if that had been their preference.

I was reminded of this experience recently when Tony Wagner, the author of The Global Achievement Gap and, most recently, Creating Innovators (much more on that book in a future column), spoke with educators and parents in my community and noted that in Finland's highly successful educational system, 45% of the students choose a technical track, not an academic track, after completing their basic education.

Blue-Collar Stigma in White-Collar Society

I'm sure many high school counselors have had some students confide that what they enjoyed doing most was working with their hands, whether on car engines, electrical circuits in the house, hair, or doing therapeutic massage. I bet that many of these students also confided that there is no way they could tell their parents that they'd rather pursue one of these occupations than go to college to prepare for a professional or business career.

We live in a society that places a high value on the professions and white-collar jobs, and that still considers blue-collar work lower status. It's no surprise that parents want their children to pursue careers that will maintain or increase their status. This is even more evident in high socio-economic communities. And for most teachers, if the student is academically successful, this will be seen as a "waste of talent."

The same dilemma often exists for students who are working to overcome the achievement gap. Most schools that are effectively helping kids to overcome this gap and achieve academically also place a premium on college admissions, often the mark of success for these schools. And kids who are the first in their families to graduate high school appear foolish to "throw this all away" by choosing some alternative to college and a blue collar career.

This bias against vocational education is dysfunctional. First, it is destructive to our children. They should have the opportunity to be trained in whatever skills their natural gifts and preferences lead them to, rather than more or less condemning them to jobs they'll find meaningless. If a young person has an affinity for hair design or one of the trades, to keep him or her from developing the skills to pursue this calling is destructive.

Second, it is destructive to our society. Many of the skills most needed to compete in the global market of the 21st century are technical skills that fall into the technical/vocational area. The absence of excellence in many technical and vocational fields is also costing us economically as a nation.

In the early sixties, John Gardner, in his classic book Excellence , talked about the importance of vocational education and of developing excellence across all occupations for the social and economic health of our society. Unfortunately, we've made little progress in the intervening years. Students who don't excel in traditional academic areas, or who have little interest in them, should not meet with disappointment or disapproval from parents and teachers. As another Gardner, Howard Gardner, has repeatedly pointed out, there are varied types of intelligence, and they are of equal value. As one example, bodily-kinesthetic and spatial intelligence are frequently high in those who are successful in varied technical trades. And there is absolutely no contradiction between recognizing and developing these intelligences and developing basic verbal and mathematical literacy for all students.

Vocational Education Groundswell

While changing societal values will take time, changes can take place on a school or district level more immediately. And the good news is that there are increasing models and resources to guide educators.

Joe Klein in a recent Time magazine article described an increasing number of excellent and well-funded vocational programs in the U.S., particularly in Arizona. Two of these, the East Valley Institute of Technology in Mesa and the Career and Technical Education Program at Monument Valley High School in Kayenta, provide both inspiration and practical models that could be implemented in many districts.

There are also more schools across the U.S. that are creating internship programs to help students gain workplace experiences while enrolled in an academic high school. At City Arts and Technology High in San Francisco, all juniors and seniors secure internships in the community, where they are mentored by an on-site professional and regularly visited by their school advisor. MetWest High School in Oakland, California is one of many that place student internships at the center of their mission. And Nancy Hoffman's excellent new book, Schooling in the Workplace , looks at how six countries successfully integrate schools and workplaces, while also providing a look at where this is happening in the U.S.

Finally, being able to begin legitimizing vocational education in a district may also depend on successfully re-educating parents regarding the value of occupations that aren't high on the social status scale. Mike Rose's The Mind at Work: Valuing the Intelligence of the American Worker , provides an excellent antidote to our social biases about intelligence and an eye-opening look at the combination of cognitive and manual skills needed in occupations that our society has mistakenly devalued.

Vocational education on both a secondary and post-secondary level should be highly valued, well-funded and effectively implemented. The first steps can and should be taken on a local level.

• Trends in Education

The pros and cons of Vocational Education Training

November 23, 2023 •

7 min reading

Students interested in pursuing higher education encounter the choice between broader, liberal arts- educational options and vocational training. The academic vs. vocational debate affects many students preparing for their careers.

While both options offer excellent education and prepare students for their jobs, each offers a slightly different approach to learning and coursework. Students interested in pursuing a specific type of trade, such as working within the hospitality industry, will find that vocational schools can present several advantages and open many doors to success.

Advantages of vocational education training

Pursuing a vocational education has its advantages. By learning and focussing on a specific trade, students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the trade allowing them to build an exciting career in a new field. As students recognize the value of vocational education training, they will find unparalleled advantages to this type of schooling.

The focus on practical skills

"Learning by Doing" is the core of Vocational Education Training. Practical learning more than theoretical learning is the priority. Students in vocational schools spend significantly more time practicing tangible skills that they will need and can apply to the workplace. The focus of their studies is on acquiring knowledge and competencies that they need to work proficiently in their chosen field.

With this style of learning, work experience becomes an actual part of the course itself, rather than something to be pursued outside of course time through internships or low-level jobs. Students have the opportunity to graduate with practical experience in their chosen field, which helps them hit the ground running once they begin their full-time job.

They are more prepared to begin their jobs immediately.

An education that prepares students for the global stage

Vocational schools attract students with a variety of different life experiences. Students have the chance to attend courses and work closely with classmates from different ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Students come from a variety of different countries to attend classes together and then go on to work in hospitality businesses around the world.

The world becomes increasingly globalized with each passing year. The internet connects businesses and customers instantaneously, which helps break down barriers between people of different backgrounds. Travel and tourism provide people with the opportunities to explore different cultures and locations. More people take advantage of these possibilities with each passing year.

With an education that allows students to work closely with such a diverse group of people, it becomes easy to see how these educational opportunities benefit professionals. Students graduate with intimate experience of working cross-culturally, a better understanding of communicating with people from different backgrounds, and the insight they need to thrive in jobs worldwide. In other words, they become assets to their organizations in the globalized world.

Building better relationships with classmates and professors

The schooling experience differs when it comes to the vocational education experience. Students spend significantly more time in their physical classes and less time working on outside projects. In a traditional classroom, students might spend only a few hours a week in their classes as they need time to work on their research papers. Whereas in a vocational school, they spend many hours working intensely on the practical skills and subject matter they learn in the course.

This results in an environment where classmates and professors build better and deeper relationships. Students work together closely with their classmates and form relationships with their professors as they move through the program. Working with people in a collaborative manner is a highly underrated skill. It is something that one has to be able to ace for the rest of their professional lives . Vocational education and training provides students with the opportunity to actively engage with their classmates, professors and get first-hand experience of working in groups.

Students also have immersive classes because they might need access to specialized equipment or environments to learn and practice their newfound skills. This further gives them hands-on experience in the field and ensures they will be prepared for the first day on the job.

Students' hours in a vocational setting closely imitate the typical work hours in the field, making the transition from a student to a professional even smoother.

Awakening passions

Students in vocational jobs enter their career paths because they have the chance to pursue their passion or a career that interests them. When they get to the vocational school, one can notice that the significant hours spent every week pursuing something they want to devote their time and energy to.. This promotes an excellent learning environment for students.

Adaptable Programs

Vocational Courses are intended to support non-conventional students who wish to study while balancing other obligations. Options such as online learning, evening, night weekend make this alternative beneficial for those trying to develop new career expertise while working full-time.

Economic benefits of vocational education

Students entering vocational programs also experience various economic benefits by choosing this educational path. Here are a few of the most common ones we see.

They often have an easier time finding a job

When students graduate from a vocational program, they have work experience and specific training for their exact field. In other words, their prospective employer knows that this candidate has gone through specialized learning, practice in the field and is prepared to start in the new position right away with minimal training.

Students find that this can open many professional avenues. They do not have to worry about applying for jobs without specific work experience in their chosen field, devoid of which the applicant may not be considered. Rather than having to start off in jobs that also provide training, students have the education they need to jump right into the position and lay the foundation for a successful career significantly faster than others who had attended traditional academic schools.

Students can often finish school faster

Students finish vocational programs faster than the education programs in other fields as the learning focuses specifically on the career choice.

With less time spent in school, students get to transition from spending money for learning and training opportunities to making money in their careers faster, allowing them to create net benefits for themselves from a financial standpoint.

Schools in the vocational sector often cost less than other types of learning institutions

Vocational Education is generally a low-priced alternative for individuals as vocational courses can be completed in two years or less. Tuition and other fees that go into learning this field do not run as high as they do at other types of schools. This contributes further to the financial savings experienced by students during their education. They pay less each year they are in school, which helps them decrease any debt they have to take on to pay for school, allowing them to begin building their savings and establishing their financial security faster than those who spend thousands more on their education.

INVEST IN EDUCATION TOOLKIT With this 10-step process, you will have all the tools you need to master the critical areas of a successful school.

Challenges facing vocational education.

Although the benefits for students entering vocational educational programs are many, there are a few challenges of vocational education that those entering a related field should be aware of. Understanding these challenges can help students make the best decisions for their school and professional careers. They can make plans that will help them accommodate these challenges and set themselves up for academic and professional success.

Less of an opportunity to explore different subjects

In a traditional academic school program, students have opportunities to explore different subjects and disciplines outside their core topics for their future degrees. In other words, a student majoring in mathematics may also take some classes on philosophy or similar liberal arts studies. This can help to create a well-rounded course of study that helps to create a broader education.

In a vocational setting, however, the subjects that students study revolve around their core concentration. While they may take some closely related tangential courses, they have fewer opportunities to take classes well outside their discipline.

Employers who focus on vocational students might be less able to adapt

Some organizations have encountered struggles when it comes to adapting with students who were educated in primarily vocational settings. Students who did not have the opportunity to broaden their skills across various disciplines and topics might be less willing and able to transition and adopt new technology and strategies within the workplace. Since their education focused on learning a specific means of completing certain routine tasks and engaging within the industry, sharp changes might be challenging to adopt.

However, students and employers can counter this problem through regular employee training. Schools themselves can also work to provide classes that explore some of the cutting-edge technologies that might become more mainstream over the course of the students’ careers, so they feel more poised to transition in the workplace. Schools can also offer workshops or refresher courses designed to introduce graduated students to some of the latest industry advancements and how new capabilities can benefit the sector and consumers.

When it comes to educating students, many find that two main paths exist. The first, a traditional four-year degree, offers students academic and professional education through intensive coursework. The lessons consist of core subjects in their area of study as well as other various broad courses that touch upon other disciplines. Meanwhile, vocational education focuses on providing learning opportunities for those who want to excel within a particular trade. While there are benefits and drawbacks to each system, understanding how these two types of education relate to each other and their impact on students and their future career is critical for anyone deciding on their academic career.

Consultant - EHL Education Consulting

Keep reading

Vocational Education and Training: The need of the hour for youngsters?

May 23, 2024

The importance of vocational training for career development

May 16, 2024

What is my teaching style? Ways to improve as a teacher

May 09, 2024

Ask our Vocational Education & Training experts

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VOCATIONAL EDUCATION - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

A range of competency based courses developed by the board of studies in ... what if i don't achieve a competency ... you could be reassessed for that competency ... – powerpoint ppt presentation.

• INTRODUCTORY COURSE
• A range of competency based courses developed by the Board of Studies in consultation with the school system, industry and TAFE NSW. These include
• Business Services (Administration)
• Construction
• Information Technology
• Metal and Engineering
• Primary Industries
• Tourism and Hospitality
• Furnishings
• Voc. Ed. Courses are based on national industry competencies standards, that are aligned to meet Australian Qualification Frameworks (AQF)
• These courses provide a clear pathway to employment and further education
• It also articulates with Apprenticeships and Traineeships
• These courses can only be delivered by accredited trained teachers within a Registered Training Organisation (RTO)
• The School District is an RTO which is registered with the Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board (VETAB)
• Statement of Attainment from the Board of Studies listing competencies achieved
• Qualifications recognised by industry
• The Higher School Certificate
• Possible UAI
• Competency Record Book
• And other possible industry related certification
• Opportunities ..
• TAFE certificates I - IV
• advanced diploma
• HSC Frameworks
• UAI (240 Hr)
• TAFE courses
• Traineeship
• Graduate diploma
• Post graduate studies
• Regular attendance
• Satisfactorily complete mandatory work placement of 70 hours
• Demonstrate my skills to a competent level
• Show a diligent and sustained effort during my course
• I leave before completion of the course?
• I dont do work placement?
• I miss an assessment?
• I am unhappy about the assessment process?
• I dont achieve a competency?
• I dont want a UAI?
• I miss sitting this subject in the HSC?
• You will be given your Competency Record Book with achieved competencies signed off
• You will be issued with a Statement of Attainment by the Board of Studies if you have achieved one or more competencies
• You may be entitled to an AQF Certificate. This will be issued by the Board of Studies
• You will receive 2 Units towards your Preliminary if you have completed mandatory work placement and indicative hours required
• Work placement is a mandatory HSC requirement, therefore, this course cannot be accredited toward your Preliminary or HSC
• You will receive an N Award for this course
• You will still receive a Statement of Attainment from the Board of Studies
• You will need to follow the schools assessment policy guidelines
• In this course you have the opportunity to be reassessed. This must be negotiated with your teacher
• If you have received an N Award warning letter the conditions for reassessment would be outlined
• You should follow the Appeals Process and Grievance Procedures document issued to your school
• Your competency record book will not be signed off for that particular competency
• You could be reassessed for that competency
• If not achieved before the end of the course, the competency will not be recorded on the Statement of Attainment
• This will not jeopardise achievement of this course for the HSC, provided you have maintained a diligent and sustained effort
• You dont need to sit for the HSC exam in this course
• You will achieve
• Statement of Attainment and/or an AQF qualification
• Higher School Certificate
• A misadventure application will need to be lodged
• An assessment from the school will be used in place of the exam mark
• Now please sign the
• Vocational Education
• Introductory Course
• register sheet
• Enjoy your course!

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Wyckoff-Franklin Lakes Oakland Your Local News for Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes, and Oakland

Ramapo-Indian Hills' New Superintendent Comes With 2 Doctorates, Plans For Vocational Programs

Ramapo-lndian Hills Regional High School has hired a new superintendent.

Dr. Ronnie Tarchichi

In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, May 28, the RIH Board of Education voted 9-0 in favor of approving Dr. Ronnie Tarchichi's contract, which goes into effect July 1.

The board also voted 7-0 with two abstentions to terminate the contract of interim superintendent Dr. James Baker. When asked about the sudden termination of Baker's contract, the BOE declined to comment on personnel matters.

The board also voted 5-4 in favor of appointing Dr. Melissa Quackenbush, the district's director of curriculum, to acting superintendent.

Tarchichi has been in his role as superintendent of Pennsauken schools since 2016 and will be moving up to North Jersey this summer.

Keeping Tarchichi out of the classroom has been an impossible feat, both in teaching roles and as a student.

Since starting out as an assistant principal at Salem County Vocational Technical Schools, Tarchichi has amassed six masters degrees and two doctorates — a PhD in education with a concentration in special education, and an EdD in educational leadership.

"My education is interesting — I went and studied science in college and knew I was either going into medicine or teaching," Tarchichi said.

"I kept going to school learning more and more, and kept getting degrees. Maybe a little too many."

His email signature looks something like this:  Ronnie Tarchichi, M.Ed.2., M.S., M.B.S., M.A.2, Ed.D., Ph.D.

"I love the profession because I continue to learn myself and push that onto our student population as well," he said. 

"And I never wanted to leave the classroom because I enjoy being with the kids. Interacting with the students is probably my favorite thing about the job."

Tarchichi also makes sure to continue actively teaching, particularly the more difficult sciences: Chemistry, biology and physics. In Pennsauken, he's been teaching physics.

Tarchichi prides himself in growing the Career and Technical Education (CTE) programming in Pennsauken, is plans on doing the same for RIH, noting a nationwide expansion of vocational jobs.

"The growth of CTE jobs are not just statewide, but throughout the nation," the superintendent said. "There are too many jobs, high-paying ones, and not enough applicants."

The most popular trades seem to be split evenly between automotives, cosmetology, and electrical, the superintendent said. The welding and air Force ROTC programs have also gotten popular, he said.

"I have students leaving Pennsauken finishing welding programs and going into jobs paying $35 an hour straight out of high school," he said. "It's immediate employment, and high-paid jobs than a lot of of college.

Tarchichi says the Bergen County vocational schools do a very good job of servicing students, however, vocational schools across the entire state and nation can't service all students who want to take part in the programs.

Therefor, comprehensive school districts across the country are beginning to build CTE programs within their schools, he said.

He hopes that implementing similar programs at RIH will give students options in their futures, and help relieve the demand for the county.

"The kids really love coming out of high school with those skills," he said. "And a lot still go to college."

In addition to growing CTE programming for RIH, Tarchichi said he also has plans to enhance athletic facilities, on top of managing all of the other responsibilities that come with the role.

Kim Ansh, the president of RIH's Board of Education," said the board is "thrilled" to have Tarchichi joining the district.

"He's got great ideas and energy, and we're excited to be working with him," she said. "The board was unanimous in its support of Dr. Tarchichi and we can't wait for him to start."

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• KfW-Tenders

Construction, Extension of School Facility (Drenes)

Tender Notice Kosovo Vocational Education

Jun 04, 2024

• Country Kosovo
• Deadline Jul 19, 2024
• Financing KfW Entwicklungsbank
• Reference Number RCF/KOS/W/2023/009
• Subject Regional Challenge Fund
• Further Information national competitive bidding; pre-bidding meeting / site visit on June 17th, 2024 at 11:00h CET

Project Description:

The “Regional Challenge Fund” is a distinct facility set up to strengthen the labour market relevance of vocational training (VET) particularly through support to VET projects that are jointly implemented by vocational training institutes and partner enterprises (cooperative training approach) in the Western Balkans 6 countries. 

Requested Services:

• Procurement of works on Construction (wooden structure) of the Training Center Building for VTI Shehu, Drenes  

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• AUS202406031780974 (1) (PDF; 371.2 KB)
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