introduction to technical education

• Subject List
• Take a Tour
• For Authors
• Subscriber Services
• Publications
• African American Studies
• African Studies
• American Literature
• Anthropology
• Architecture Planning and Preservation
• Art History
• Atlantic History
• Biblical Studies
• British and Irish Literature
• Childhood Studies
• Chinese Studies
• Cinema and Media Studies
• Communication
• Criminology
• Environmental Science
• Evolutionary Biology
• International Law
• International Relations
• Islamic Studies
• Jewish Studies
• Latin American Studies
• Latino Studies
• Linguistics
• Literary and Critical Theory
• Medieval Studies
• Military History
• Political Science
• Public Health
• Renaissance and Reformation
• Social Work
• Urban Studies
• Victorian Literature
• Browse All Subjects

How to Subscribe

• Free Trials

In This Article Expand or collapse the "in this article" section Vocational/Career and Technical Education

Introduction, general overviews.

• Comprehensive Journals and Magazines
• Subject Area Journals and Magazines
• Teacher Preparation
• Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment
• Agricultural Education
• Business and Marketing Education
• Family and Consumer Sciences Education
• Trade and Industrial Education/Technology Education/Engineering Education
• Professional Organizations
• Research Centers
• Student Organizations
• International Agencies
• International Agencies (Country Specific)
• United States Federal Government Agencies

Related Articles Expand or collapse the "related articles" section about

About related articles close popup.

Lorem Ipsum Sit Dolor Amet

Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Aliquam ligula odio, euismod ut aliquam et, vestibulum nec risus. Nulla viverra, arcu et iaculis consequat, justo diam ornare tellus, semper ultrices tellus nunc eu tellus.

• Curriculum Design
• Higher Education and the Developing World
• Lifelong Learning
• Secondary to Postsecondary Transition Issues
• Student Engagement in Tertiary Education

Other Subject Areas

Forthcoming articles expand or collapse the "forthcoming articles" section.

• Black Women in Academia
• Girls' Education in the Developing World
• History of Education in Europe
• Find more forthcoming articles...
• Export Citations
• Share This Facebook LinkedIn Twitter

Vocational/Career and Technical Education by Chris Zirkle , Jay Plasman LAST REVIEWED: 26 May 2021 LAST MODIFIED: 26 May 2021 DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199756810-0068

Vocational/career and technical education has historically been known as “education for work.” It has focused on providing learners with the skills and knowledge needed to successfully transition to the workplace. The present vocational-technical education system in the United States is broad and complex, spanning many grade levels, subject areas, and educational institutions. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries the system also has evolved from being initially focused on entry-level job preparation to include adult retraining programs, college preparatory coursework, postsecondary options and programs, and many other options. This complexity is confounded by the broader educational system in the United States, which leaves decisions regarding vocational and career and technical education programming largely to each of the states. Despite these challenges, vocational and career and technical education continues to be a key component of the overall education system in the United States. In addition, with the rapidly changing context of work and the need for a skilled, adaptable workforce, the US vocational and technical education system will continue to hold a vital role in the US economy. Vocational education, referred to in many other countries as technical vocational education and training (TVET), also plays a significant role in educational systems across the globe. In many countries TVET has a more centralized focus than in the United States and does not have to contend with the different state structures found in the United States. In developed countries such as Australia, Germany, Great Britain, and South Korea, TVET is a key to economic prosperity, while in developing countries TVET is seen as a key to economic self-sufficiency.

The works in this section provide a general overview of vocational and technical education from both US and international perspectives. Gordon 2020 , Miller 1985 , Prosser and Quigley 1949 , and Venn 1964 provide historical and philosophical views of vocational and technical education in the United States from different time periods, while Barabasch and Rauner 2012 and Scott 2014 give excellent perspectives on the different program areas and issues within vocational and technical education. Maclean and Wilson 2009 , Pilz 2012 , Pilz 2017 , and Rauner and Maclean 2009 provide comprehensive views of vocational and technical education across the globe.

Barabasch, Antje, and Felix Rauner, eds. 2012. Work and education in America: The art of integration . Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.

A comprehensive academic volume on vocational education and training (VET) or career and technical education (CTE) in the United States, which features insights into a variety of issues. Provides an up-to-date synthesis with a critical analysis of the relevant history, philosophy, governance, legislation, and organizational structures of the field in the United States.

Gordon, Howard R. D. 2020. The history and growth of career and technical education in America . 5th ed. Long Grove, IL: Waveland.

Relevant, up-to-date synthesis of the history, philosophy, legislation, and organizational and curricular structure of career and technical education in the United States. Examines the current issues that shape the role of career and technical education in the global, technology-driven economy and issues and trends that will impact the future of the field.

Maclean, Rupert, and David N. Wilson, eds. 2009. International handbook of education for the changing world of work . 6 vols. New York: Springer.

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4020-5281-1

Covers the latest practice in technical and vocational education and training. Presents models from all over the world, reflections on innovative practice, and case studies. Includes the work of established and promising researchers and features comprehensive coverage of developments in research, policy, and practice.

McGrath, Simon, Martin Mulder, Joy Papier, and Rebecca Suart, eds. 2019. Handbook of vocational education and training: Developments in the changing world of work . 2 vols. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.

Two-volume set examines nine critical areas of vocational education and training, including the changing world of work, skills for sustainable human development, planning and reforming skills systems, private training markets, vocational learning, competence and excellence, measuring learning and instructional performance, supporting learners, and vocational education and training (VET) teacher/trainer education.

Miller, Melvin. 1985. Principles and a philosophy for vocational education . Columbus: National Center for Research in Vocational Education, Ohio State Univ.

Provides a set of principles to state preferred practices to serve as guidelines for programs and curriculum, instruction and evaluation. Postulates philosophy to provide a conceptual framework for vocational education to guide future decision-making and policy development.

Pilz, Matthias, ed. 2012. The future of vocational education and training in a changing world . Wiesbaden, Germany: Springer.

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-531-18757-0

Volume comprised of thirty individual contributions providing a comprehensive overview of early-21st-century issues in vocational education and training, its strengths and weaknesses, and its prospects. Vocational education and training experts from Canada, the United States, India, China, Japan, and Korea, as well as from a number of European countries are featured.

Pilz, Matthias, ed. 2017. Vocational education and training in times of economic crisis . Cham, Switzerland: Springer.

Volume comprised of twenty-six individual contributions revealing how youth in transition is affected by economic crises. Provides essential insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the various systems and prospects of VET in contexts ranging from North America to Europe (e.g., Spain, Germany, or the United Kingdom) to Asia (such as China, Thailand, and India).

Pilz, Matthias, and Junmin Li, eds. 2020. Comparative vocational education research: Enduring challenges and new ways forward . Cham, Switzerland: Springer.

Edited volume of eighteen chapters focused on research of comparative vocational education and training.

Prosser, Charles A., and T. H. Quigley. 1949. Vocational education in a democracy . Chicago: American Technical Society.

Seminal text first published in 1925. Reexamines the role of vocational education in US society. A comprehensive examination of all aspects of the discipline, including theories of vocational education, vocational education for youth and adults, federal involvement in vocational education, and the training of vocational education teachers.

Rauner, Felix, and Rupert Maclean, eds. 2009. Handbook of technical and vocational education and training research . New York: Springer.

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4020-8347-1

Provides a comprehensive coverage of technical and vocational education and training research in an international context with special focus on research and research methods. Focuses include early research, policy research, planning and practice, individual disciplines of vocational education, case studies, and research methods.

Scott, John. 2014. Overview of career and technical education . 5th ed. Chicago: American Technical.

Broad overview of career and technical education and information on current federal legislation. Also includes material covering the roles of teachers, guidance counselors, and administrators in career and technical education programs and material on dual enrollment programs and career academies and how these programs prepare students for the workforce.

Venn, Grant. 1964. Man, education, and work: Post secondary vocational and technical education . Washington, DC: American Council on Education.

Following passage of the Vocational Education Act of 1963, describes the long-standing neglect of vocational and technical education, examines the historical development of the discipline, and posits new opportunities for growth. An assessment of the manpower needs of the American workplace and vocational and technical education’s role in those requirements.

back to top

Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content on this page. Please subscribe or login .

Oxford Bibliographies Online is available by subscription and perpetual access to institutions. For more information or to contact an Oxford Sales Representative click here .

• About Education »
• Meet the Editorial Board »
• Academic Achievement
• Academic Audit for Universities
• Academic Freedom and Tenure in the United States
• Action Research in Education
• Adjuncts in Higher Education in the United States
• Administrator Preparation
• Adolescence
• Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Courses
• Advocacy and Activism in Early Childhood
• African American Racial Identity and Learning
• Alaska Native Education
• Alternative Certification Programs for Educators
• Alternative Schools
• American Indian Education
• Animals in Environmental Education
• Art Education
• Artificial Intelligence and Learning
• Assessing School Leader Effectiveness
• Assessment, Behavioral
• Assessment, Educational
• Assessment in Early Childhood Education
• Assistive Technology
• Augmented Reality in Education
• Beginning-Teacher Induction
• Bilingual Education and Bilingualism
• Black Undergraduate Women: Critical Race and Gender Perspe...
• Blended Learning
• Case Study in Education Research
• Changing Professional and Academic Identities
• Character Education
• Children’s and Young Adult Literature
• Children's Beliefs about Intelligence
• Children's Rights in Early Childhood Education
• Citizenship Education
• Civic and Social Engagement of Higher Education
• Classroom Learning Environments: Assessing and Investigati...
• Classroom Management
• Coherent Instructional Systems at the School and School Sy...
• College Admissions in the United States
• College Athletics in the United States
• Community Relations
• Comparative Education
• Computer-Assisted Language Learning
• Computer-Based Testing
• Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Evaluating Improvement Net...
• Continuous Improvement and "High Leverage" Educational Pro...
• Counseling in Schools
• Critical Approaches to Gender in Higher Education
• Critical Perspectives on Educational Innovation and Improv...
• Critical Race Theory
• Crossborder and Transnational Higher Education
• Cross-National Research on Continuous Improvement
• Cross-Sector Research on Continuous Learning and Improveme...
• Cultural Diversity in Early Childhood Education
• Culturally Responsive Leadership
• Culturally Responsive Pedagogies
• Culturally Responsive Teacher Education in the United Stat...
• Data Collection in Educational Research
• Data-driven Decision Making in the United States
• Deaf Education
• Desegregation and Integration
• Design Thinking and the Learning Sciences: Theoretical, Pr...
• Development, Moral
• Dialogic Pedagogy
• Digital Age Teacher, The
• Digital Citizenship
• Digital Divides
• Disabilities
• Distance Learning
• Distributed Leadership
• Doctoral Education and Training
• Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in Denmark
• Early Childhood Education and Development in Mexico
• Early Childhood Education in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Early Childhood Education in Australia
• Early Childhood Education in China
• Early Childhood Education in Europe
• Early Childhood Education in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Early Childhood Education in Sweden
• Early Childhood Education Pedagogy
• Early Childhood Education Policy
• Early Childhood Education, The Arts in
• Early Childhood Mathematics
• Early Childhood Science
• Early Childhood Teacher Education
• Early Childhood Teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Early Years Professionalism and Professionalization Polici...
• Economics of Education
• Education For Children with Autism
• Education for Sustainable Development
• Education Leadership, Empirical Perspectives in
• Education of Native Hawaiian Students
• Education Reform and School Change
• Educational Statistics for Longitudinal Research
• Educator Partnerships with Parents and Families with a Foc...
• Emotional and Affective Issues in Environmental and Sustai...
• Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
• English as an International Language for Academic Publishi...
• Environmental and Science Education: Overlaps and Issues
• Environmental Education
• Environmental Education in Brazil
• Epistemic Beliefs
• Equity and Improvement: Engaging Communities in Educationa...
• Equity, Ethnicity, Diversity, and Excellence in Education
• Ethical Research with Young Children
• Ethics and Education
• Ethics of Teaching
• Ethnic Studies
• Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention
• Family and Community Partnerships in Education
• Family Day Care
• Federal Government Programs and Issues
• Feminization of Labor in Academia
• Finance, Education
• Financial Aid
• Formative Assessment
• Future-Focused Education
• Gender and Achievement
• Gender and Alternative Education
• Gender, Power and Politics in the Academy
• Gender-Based Violence on University Campuses
• Gifted Education
• Global Mindedness and Global Citizenship Education
• Global University Rankings
• Governance, Education
• Grounded Theory
• Growth of Effective Mental Health Services in Schools in t...
• Higher Education and Globalization
• Higher Education Faculty Characteristics and Trends in the...
• Higher Education Finance
• Higher Education Governance
• Higher Education Graduate Outcomes and Destinations
• Higher Education in Africa
• Higher Education in China
• Higher Education in Latin America
• Higher Education in the United States, Historical Evolutio...
• Higher Education, International Issues in
• Higher Education Management
• Higher Education Policy
• Higher Education Research
• Higher Education Student Assessment
• High-stakes Testing
• History of Early Childhood Education in the United States
• History of Education in the United States
• History of Technology Integration in Education
• Homeschooling
• Inclusion in Early Childhood: Difference, Disability, and ...
• Inclusive Education
• Indigenous Education in a Global Context
• Indigenous Learning Environments
• Indigenous Students in Higher Education in the United Stat...
• Infant and Toddler Pedagogy
• Inservice Teacher Education
• Integrating Art across the Curriculum
• Intelligence
• Intensive Interventions for Children and Adolescents with ...
• International Perspectives on Academic Freedom
• Intersectionality and Education
• Knowledge Development in Early Childhood
• Leadership Development, Coaching and Feedback for
• Leadership in Early Childhood Education
• Leadership Training with an Emphasis on the United States
• Learning Analytics in Higher Education
• Learning Difficulties
• Learning, Lifelong
• Learning, Multimedia
• Learning Strategies
• Legal Matters and Education Law
• LGBT Youth in Schools
• Linguistic Diversity
• Linguistically Inclusive Pedagogy
• Literacy Development and Language Acquisition
• Literature Reviews
• Mathematics Identity
• Mathematics Instruction and Interventions for Students wit...
• Mathematics Teacher Education
• Measurement for Improvement in Education
• Measurement in Education in the United States
• Meta-Analysis and Research Synthesis in Education
• Methodological Approaches for Impact Evaluation in Educati...
• Methodologies for Conducting Education Research
• Mindfulness, Learning, and Education
• Mixed Methods Research
• Motherscholars
• Multiliteracies in Early Childhood Education
• Multiple Documents Literacy: Theory, Research, and Applica...
• Multivariate Research Methodology
• Museums, Education, and Curriculum
• Music Education
• Narrative Research in Education
• Native American Studies
• Nonformal and Informal Environmental Education
• Note-Taking
• Numeracy Education
• One-to-One Technology in the K-12 Classroom
• Online Education
• Open Education
• Organizing for Continuous Improvement in Education
• Organizing Schools for the Inclusion of Students with Disa...
• Outdoor Play and Learning
• Outdoor Play and Learning in Early Childhood Education
• Pedagogical Leadership
• Pedagogy of Teacher Education, A
• Performance Objectives and Measurement
• Performance-based Research Assessment in Higher Education
• Performance-based Research Funding
• Phenomenology in Educational Research
• Philosophy of Education
• Physical Education
• Podcasts in Education
• Policy Context of United States Educational Innovation and...
• Politics of Education
• Portable Technology Use in Special Education Programs and ...
• Post-humanism and Environmental Education
• Pre-Service Teacher Education
• Problem Solving
• Productivity and Higher Education
• Professional Development
• Professional Learning Communities
• Program Evaluation
• Programs and Services for Students with Emotional or Behav...
• Psychology Learning and Teaching
• Psychometric Issues in the Assessment of English Language ...
• Qualitative Data Analysis Techniques
• Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Research Samp...
• Qualitative Research Design
• Quantitative Research Designs in Educational Research
• Queering the English Language Arts (ELA) Writing Classroom
• Race and Affirmative Action in Higher Education
• Reading Education
• Refugee and New Immigrant Learners
• Relational and Developmental Trauma and Schools
• Relational Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education
• Reliability in Educational Assessments
• Religion in Elementary and Secondary Education in the Unit...
• Researcher Development and Skills Training within the Cont...
• Research-Practice Partnerships in Education within the Uni...
• Response to Intervention
• Restorative Practices
• Risky Play in Early Childhood Education
• Scale and Sustainability of Education Innovation and Impro...
• Scaling Up Research-based Educational Practices
• School Accreditation
• School Choice
• School Culture
• School District Budgeting and Financial Management in the ...
• School Improvement through Inclusive Education
• School Reform
• Schools, Private and Independent
• School-Wide Positive Behavior Support
• Science Education
• Self-Regulated Learning
• Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices
• Service-Learning
• Severe Disabilities
• Single Salary Schedule
• Single-sex Education
• Single-Subject Research Design
• Social Context of Education
• Social Justice
• Social Network Analysis
• Social Pedagogy
• Social Science and Education Research
• Social Studies Education
• Sociology of Education
• Standards-Based Education
• Statistical Assumptions
• Student Access, Equity, and Diversity in Higher Education
• Student Assignment Policy
• Student Learning, Development, Engagement, and Motivation ...
• Student Participation
• Student Voice in Teacher Development
• Sustainability Education in Early Childhood Education
• Sustainability in Early Childhood Education
• Sustainability in Higher Education
• Teacher Beliefs and Epistemologies
• Teacher Collaboration in School Improvement
• Teacher Evaluation and Teacher Effectiveness
• Teacher Training and Development
• Teacher Unions and Associations
• Teacher-Student Relationships
• Teaching Critical Thinking
• Technologies, Teaching, and Learning in Higher Education
• Technology Education in Early Childhood
• Technology, Educational
• Technology-based Assessment
• The Bologna Process
• The Regulation of Standards in Higher Education
• Theories of Educational Leadership
• Three Conceptions of Literacy: Media, Narrative, and Gamin...
• Tracking and Detracking
• Traditions of Quality Improvement in Education
• Transformative Learning
• Transitions in Early Childhood Education
• Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities in the Unite...
• Understanding the Psycho-Social Dimensions of Schools and ...
• University Faculty Roles and Responsibilities in the Unite...
• Using Ethnography in Educational Research
• Value of Higher Education for Students and Other Stakehold...
• Virtual Learning Environments
• Vocational and Technical Education
• Wellness and Well-Being in Education
• Women's and Gender Studies
• Young Children and Spirituality
• Young Children's Learning Dispositions
• Young Children's Working Theories
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• Legal Notice
• Accessibility

Powered by:

• [66.249.64.20|185.80.151.9]
• 185.80.151.9

Engineering Technology Education in the United States (2017)

Chapter: 1 introduction, 1 introduction.

Calls to expand and improve the quality of the US technical workforce have been made in one form or another for decades. Over the past 10 years, and particularly since the 2008 economic downturn, the urgency of these concerns has grown (e.g., NAS, NAE, and NRC, 2010 ). A key worry, expressed by both policymakers and corporate leaders, is that the nation’s status as a world leader of innovation is slipping.

The ability of the United States to support innovation requires production and retention of individuals who are highly skilled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). These STEM professionals work in a widely disseminated global enterprise spanning government, industry, and academia. Engineers play an especially vital role as the designers of technological systems and processes that help drive economic growth, maintain and improve quality of life, and assure national security.

Policymakers, employers, researchers, and educators have focused considerable attention during the past decade on the adequacy of the US engineering education system to meet the demands of an increasingly “flat” world in which competencies that go beyond pure technical skills, including creativity, leadership, flexibility, and communication, are becoming more and more essential ( NAE, 2004 , 2005 ). Traditional engineering education is being challenged to respond to emerging fields that blur disciplinary boundaries, among them nanotechnology, synthetic biology, and biomimetics. And, although enrollments in US engineering colleges reached an all-time

high in 2012, with minor declines since then ( NSF, 2016a ), some still are concerned that the production of engineering graduates in this country lags behind that of some notable competitor nations, such as China, a shortfall not only in absolute numbers but also in the overall percentage of college graduates who have an engineering degree. 1

Largely absent from most discussions of the future of the United States’ technical workforce, however, is the role that engineering technology (ET) education plays or should play in supporting the nation’s technical infrastructure and capacity for innovation. This omission is worrisome because the number of people with this type of education, while smaller than for engineering, is nevertheless substantial. Relatively little is known, for example, about the extent to which the supply of those with ET degrees does—or does not—meet the needs of employers; what type of work those with such degrees perform; how, if at all, changes in technology are affecting the preparation and employment of those with ET degrees; and the nature and significance of the differences between the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of those with ET degrees and those with engineering degrees.

ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

The formal emergence of ET as an academic discipline can be traced to recommendations in the1955 Grinter report, which set the stage for engineering’s swing toward “engineering science” (i.e., more focus on theory and less on hands-on practice; Harris et al., 1994 ). In part to meet an anticipated need for more technically trained people in industry (that would not be satisfied by the newly minted engineers coming out of science-based engineering programs) and spurred by the 1957 launch of Sputnik, some technical institutes and vocational schools created 2-year ET programs. These programs tended to emphasize development of hands-on, practical, and problem-solving skills relevant to the needs of industry.

___________________

1 In 2012, the latest year for which data are available, 4.6 percent of all “first university degrees” earned in the United States were in engineering. In European Union nations, the figure ranged between 3.6 percent in Denmark to 14.8 in Finland, in India it was 10 percent, and in China it was 31.7 percent. Source: NSF, 2016b . Importantly, as shown by Wadhwa et al. (2007) , there are important differences in the training and employment of engineers in the United States and what occurs in China and India. These differences suggest the US-China/India “gap” in production of engineering talent may be much smaller than commonly thought.

Although there had been a handful of such institutions in the years following World War II, a dramatic growth occurred after Sputnik. By the mid-1960s, about 60 accredited programs were granting 2-year associate’s degrees in the field. And in 1967, the first 4-year ET program was accredited. These 4-year programs, most housed in colleges of technology, experienced a significant growth through the mid-1980s, but their numbers have gradually fallen since then. Additional details about the origins of ET are presented in Chapter 2 .

In 2014 there were 17,915 graduates of 4-year (bachelor’s degree) ET programs and 34,638 graduates of 2-year (associate’s degree) ET programs, according to the Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). By comparison, in that same year 93,950 students graduated from 4-year engineering programs in the United States. Certificates in ET, which typically require fewer courses and take less time to obtain than does an associate’s degree, have been awarded for decades. Since 2000, the growth rate of these certificates has surpassed that of both associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in ET. And for the first time, in 2010, the absolute number of sub-associate’s certificates exceeded the number of associate’s degrees awarded in ET. In 2014, US institutions awarded 49,217 sub-associate’s ET certificates. The role of certificates in ET education is discussed in greater detail in Chapter 3 .

Institutions, Programs, and Accreditation

IPEDS is the most comprehensive source of basic statistics on higher education in the United States. According to IPEDS, there were 414 public, private, or for-profit academic institutions awarding at least one 4-year ET degree in 2014. Within this group, 38 awarded 100 or more degrees that year ( Table 1-1 ). A total of 1,192 institutions awarded at least one 2-year degree in the field in 2012. Fifty-two of these institutions awarded 100 or more degrees ( Table 1-2 ).

In terms of the geographic distribution of ET degrees and certificates, three of the nation’s largest four states—California, New York, and Texas—award the largest shares of 4- and 2-year degrees ( Table 1-3 ). California, Texas, and Florida, the nation’s third most populous state, 2 are also responsible for large shares of certificate awards, but so, too, are a number of other

2 According to the US Census Bureau, in 2015, New York and Florida had nearly identical populations, about 20 million.

TABLE 1-1 Institutions Awarding 100 or More 4-Year Degrees in Engineering Technology, 2014

states not among the top producers of 4- and 2-year degree-earners. Table 1-4 shows the percentage of ET-degree- and certificate-granting institutions according to institutional control.

Compared with the tally of degree-granting institutions, determining the number of ET programs overseen by these institutions is more challenging. For one thing, as discussed at greater length in Chapter 3 , there is no standard nomenclature for describing these programs. Also, IPEDS does not collect data on numbers of programs, only degrees. For program information, we must turn to other sources, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), the primary organization involved in assuring the basic soundness of educational programs in engineering and technology. 3 According to ABET, in 2014 there were 387 accredited 4-year ET programs at 153 institutions and 257 accredited 2-year ET programs at 98 institutions. 4 The most common program at both the 2- and the 4-year degree levels was electrical and electronics engineering technology, followed by mechanical engineering technology ( Table 1-5 ). Three of the most-common ET program types at the 2-year level—in architectural, surveying and geomatics, and drafting and design engineering technology—are not among the top 10 at the 4-year level.

These ABET data, of course, capture only programs accredited by that organization. By comparing the ABET list of programs with programs listed on the websites of IPEDS schools that award degrees in ET, the committee was able to estimate the number of programs that are not ABET accredited. At the 2-year level, there were 658 such programs; at the 4-year level, there

3 The Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering and the American Council for Construction Education accredit a very small number of ET programs.

4 Twenty-eight institutions have both 2- and 4-year ABET-accredited programs.

TABLE 1-2 Institutions Awarding 100 or More 2-Year Degrees in Engineering Technology, 2014

TABLE 1-3 States Awarding 5 Percent or More of ET Degrees and Certificates, 2014

TABLE 1-4 Number of Institutions Awarding Engineering Technology Degrees and Certificates, by Institutional Control Type

TABLE 1-5 Top 10 Most Common ABET-Accredited Engineering Technology Programs, 2- and 4-Year Degree Levels

were 141. The complete universe of ET programs in the United States is presented in Table 1-6 .

TERMINOLOGY

The language used by researchers, statisticians, and practitioners themselves to describe ET education sometimes muddies efforts at understanding. Often, though not universally, postsecondary educators call those with 2-year degrees in ET “technicians,” while those with 4-year degrees are called “technologists.” Unless noted otherwise, this is the convention we follow in our report. However, it is important to note several limitations with this nomenclature. First, federal employment data collection efforts sometimes use the term “technician” and at other times “technician or technologist” to describe work that might be done by those with either a 2- or a 4-year degree. Second, we have learned through our research that many of those with 4-year ET degrees do not identify themselves as technologists. If asked in surveys, for instance, they may call themselves engineers or managers. Third, the term “technologist” also does not seem to have much currency within industry, where the focus tends to be on the function an employee fulfills rather than the degree earned (e.g., Land, 2012 ). Finally, within the ET education community there is a long-simmering debate about the potential value of adopting the “applied engineering” label for bachelor’s of science (BS) ET programs ( Chandler et al., 2006 ; Rezak and McHenry, 1997 ). The Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering (ATMAE), which accredits a small number of 2- and 4-year ET programs, also accredits BS and associate of applied science (AAS) degree programs in “applied engineering” and “applied engineering technology.” The possibility of accrediting some ET programs as “applied engineering” through ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission or its Engineering Technology

TABLE 1-6 Estimated Universe of Engineering Technology Programs in the United States

Accreditation Commission is something that leadership at the organization has recently begun to consider (J. Ray, Western Carolina University, personal communication, Aug. 30, 2015).

A second area of potential confusion relates to the large number of distinct ET education programs at both the 2- and the 4-year levels. Although there is a relatively small set of such program types in engineering (e.g., civil, electrical, mechanical, environment, industrial, bioengineering), there are many more in ET (see Box 3-1 in Chapter 3 ), and there does not appear to be a consistent naming convention across academic institutions. This sometimes results in one-of-a-kind program titles. Finally, education data collection by the federal government also does not consistently use the term “engineering technology” in the descriptions of programs it counts as producing graduates in this field (see the discussion of CIP codes in Chapter 3 ’s section on “ Degree Fields .”)

Overall, there is considerable variation in how different groups characterize ET, particularly in comparison to engineering ( Box 1-1 ).

LICENSING, CERTIFICATION, AND EQUIVALENCY

In the United States, engineers must be licensed to perform certain tasks such as certifying the safety-related specifications of design drawings. Individuals who have earned a 4-year engineering degree from an ABET-accredited program who wish to be licensed must first pass the Fundamentals in Engineering (FE) exam, a test of broad knowledge in mathematics, science, and engineering. After gaining work experience (the amount of experience required varies by state), those with the FE designation and requisite experience can take the Principles and Practice in Engineering (PE) exam. Licensing is done by the states, and 30 states allow those with an ET degree from an ABET-accredited program to take the FE and PE exams. According to the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, which administers the exams, 2,600 of 45,600 candidates taking the 2010 FE exam, or 5.7 percent, indicated they had a 4-year degree in ET. Of the 26,600 candidates taking the PE exam that year, 900, or 3.4 percent, had a 4-year ET degree.

The National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies, a semiautonomous division of the National Society of Professional Engineers, offers certification for 4-year ET degree holders. Since 1977, 1,775 people with 4-year ET degrees have opted to get this certification (M. Clark,

NICET, personal communication, Aug. 19, 2015). ATMAE offers a variety of certifications, one of which, Certified Technical Professional, is available to graduates of both 2- and 4-year ET programs.

The United States, through ABET, is a signatory to three international “equivalency” agreements: one for engineers (the “Washington Accord”), one for engineering technologists (the “Sydney Accord”), and one for engineering technicians (the “Dublin Accord”; IEA, 2014 ). Sixteen countries, including the United States, have signed the Washington Accord. Australia, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, China, Ireland, Korea, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States have signed the Sydney Accord. And Australia, Canada, Ireland, Korea, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States have signed the Dublin Accord.

A further illustration of the inconsistency surrounding terminology within and for ET may be seen in the variety of names used by the seven initial signatory countries 5 to the Sydney Accord to identify those with similar educational backgrounds in ET ( Table 1-7 ).

Engineering Technology and Engineering

As noted, the work of engineering technologists is often described by drawing comparisons to engineering. One model ( Figure 1-1 ), developed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME), sees the jobs of engineering technologist and engineer as falling along a continuum. It is characterized at one end (engineering technology) by work involving distribution and sales; operation, service, and maintenance; and production engineering and at the other (engineering), by work emphasizes theory, analysis, and complex design. As shown in the area where the two jobs overlap, a number of work-related activities can be performed by both engineers and technologists, including component design, management, and testing and evaluation.

An earlier version of the ASME model included a similar spread of occupational functions but also suggested that jobs at the engineering end of the spectrum involve more mathematical work while those at the ET end involve less.

There is no widely accepted job description for an engineering technician. However, the International Engineering Alliance, which manages mutual accreditation recognition agreements among signatory countries for engineers, engineering technologists, and engineering technicians, offers this description:

The roles of Engineering Technicians involve them in the implementation of proven techniques and procedures to the solution of practical problems. They carry a measure of supervisory and technical responsibility and are competent to exercise creative aptitudes and skills within defined fields of technology, initially under the guidance of engineering practitioners with appropriate experience. Engineering Technicians contribute to the design, development, manufacture, commissioning, operation and maintenance of products, equipment, processes and services. ( IEA, 2014 , pp. 13-14)

5 The United States was not among the original signatories to the Sydney Accord, and the International Engineering Alliance, which oversees the accord process, does not provide terminology used by later signatories.

TABLE 1-7 Sydney Signatories’ Titles for “Engineering Technologist”

Compared with engineering, the history of ET education ( Chapter 2 ) suggests a greater emphasis on hands-on laboratory experiences and less emphasis on advanced mathematics. To get a sense of how valid this characterization is today, the committee examined required coursework for engineering and 4-year ET majors at three institutions housing both programs ( Table 1-8 ). Though qualitative and involving a very small sample, the review nonetheless suggests that some of the historical differences between the two fields remain.

Another illustration of the differences between ET and engineering is reflected in the student outcomes criteria used by ABET for the two types of programs ( Table 1-9 ). Overall, the criteria are very similar. However, ET’s historical roots in application can clearly be seen in ABET’s Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission’s criteria b and c. The greater hands-on emphasis of ET also can be seen in ABET’s curriculum criteria for the field, which call on these programs to “Develop student competency in the use of equipment and tools common to the discipline.” No such guidance is provided to engineering programs.

TABLE 1-8 Required Science, Mathematics, and Laboratory Courses in Engineering and Engineering Technology BS Programs at the University of Cincinnati, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and Purdue University

a At the University of Cincinnati, both the electrical engineering and the electrical engineering technology programs are housed within the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Both programs are 5 years long. The “curriculum guide” for electrical engineering can be viewed here: https://webapps.uc.edu/DegreePrograms/CurriculumGuideView.aspx?Program=1232&Pasla=20BSEE-EE&CurriculumGuideID=1326 . The curriculum guide for electrical engineering technology can be seen here: https://webapps.uc.edu/DegreePrograms/CurriculumGuideView.aspx?Program=1003&Pasla=20BSEET-ET&CurriculumGuideID=901 .

b At UNC, Charlotte, both the mechanical engineering and the mechanical engineering technology programs are housed within the William States Lee College of Engineering. The September 2014 “suggested plan of study” for mechanical engineering can be viewed here: http://academics.uncc.edu/sites/academics.uncc.edu/files/media/Mechanical-Engineering-APS-Sept-2014.pdf . The April 2014 suggested plan of study for mechanical engineering technology can be seen here: http://academics.uncc.edu/sites/academics.uncc.edu/files/media/Mechanical-Engineering-Technology-APS-Apr-2014.pdf .

c At Purdue, the electrical engineering program is housed within the College of Engineering, and the electrical engineering technology program is housed within the School of Engineering Technology, part of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute. The 2015 “plan of study” for electrical engineering can be viewed here: https://polytechnic.purdue.edu/sites/default/files/EET-fall-2015.pdf . The 2015 plan of study for electrical engineering technology is here: https://engineering.purdue.edu/Engr/Academics/Undergraduate/PlansOfStudy/schools/ece/bsee/fall-2015/Electrical%20Engineering%20-%20Fall%202015.pdf .

TABLE 1-9 Comparison of ABET Student Outcomes Criteria A-K for Engineering and Engineering Technology

SOURCE: EAC, 2015 ; ETAC, 2014 .

The hiring practices of the federal government also reflect perceived differences between ET and engineering. The federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) places ET under the same broad category, “All Professional Engineering Positions,” that includes those with 4-year engineering degrees ( OPM, 2012 ). Technically, this means that some with 4-year ET degrees from institutions accredited by ABET can be hired by the federal government, but the OPM rules restrict hiring to entry-level jobs (GS-5, pay range $27k-$36k; those with “superior academic performance” may enter at GS-7). Some within the ET field believe that this OPM provision reflects a bias against the field and poses an unfair barrier to federal employment for engineering technologists. The National Engineering Technology Forum, an initiative of the Engineering Technology Council of the American Society for Engineering Education, has been lobbying for the creation of a separate federal job category, or the equivalent, for engineering technologists. In 2014 OPM drafted and circulated to other agencies for comment a proposal that would have reclassified engineering technologists. Subsequently, the agency decided not to move forward with the proposal.

Separately, the Department of Labor classifies engineering technologists and technicians among the occupations that are subject to minimum-wage and overtime-pay rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act ( USDOL, 2008 ). In contrast, engineers are exempt from these rules, because they are considered part of a “learned profession.” By DOL definition, a learned profes-

sion involves “work requiring advanced knowledge,” which is “customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction.”

Issues related to the employment of engineering technologists and technicians are considered in detail in Chapter 4 . However, it is worth noting here the personal experiences of one of our workshop participants, Verna Fitzsimmons, CEO of Kansas State University at Salina. Her institution awards both 4-year engineering and 4-year ET degrees. Dr. Fitzsimmons reported that she has been working closely with employers in the Salina community to help them understand the value of students with a BS in ET. Although many local employers hire her graduates and wish the university could provide more of them, she said most thought the graduates they were hiring were all engineers. Our own survey of employers, also described in Chapter 4 , found that roughly one-third had never heard of the academic field called “engineering technology education.”

Although the committee’s statement of task, described below, does not specifically require us to examine educational and career pathways in ET, it was our hope that this project would provide insights into this issue. Figure 1-2 provides a notional view of some of the major connections between and among various parts of the ET education system and the workforce. We were not able in this project to characterize all of the pathways pictured, or to provide definitive information about many of the specific pathways, but we were able to elucidate patterns in certain of these flows as well as to identify potentially intriguing connections (and gaps) that suggest the need for more research. A number of facets of this pathways diagram are addressed in data presented in Chapters 3 and 4 .

THE NAE PROJECT

This National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded project took place over a roughly 2-year period, culminating in publication of this report in summer 2016. To oversee the project, the NAE appointed a committee of 14 individuals with expertise across a range of areas relevant to the study topic, including engineering and engineering technology (ET) education; labor economics; STEM workforce policy and research; career and technical education; K-12 teaching; and industry. (Committee bios appear at Appendix A .)

The committee met four times and held a 1-day workshop in December 2014 in Washington, DC.

The project had the following statement of task:

An ad hoc committee will conduct a study and prepare a report to shed light on the status, role, and needs of engineering technology education in the United States. The project will address the following objectives and questions and include a public workshop as a primary data-gathering event.

Objective 1: Review the status and history of the production and employment of engineering technologists and technicians in the United States. Such a review should address not only the number and discipline-focus of graduates from engineering technology programs but also their demographic characteristics (race, gender, socio-economic status), academic preparation (e.g., participation in career and technical education programs, experience with K-12 engineering coursework), and distribution by sector, job role/category, and geographic region.

QUESTION: What are the significant trends and patterns in the production and employment of engineering technologists and technicians?

Objective 2: Gather available data and explore private- and public-sector employer perceptions regarding the adequacy of the supply of engineering technologists and technicians as well as the appropriateness of the knowledge and skills they bring to the workplace.

QUESTION: What aspects of engineering technologist/technician performance in the workplace are most valued by employers and where are such workers seen to fall short of expectations or needs?

QUESTION: Is there evidence for shortages or oversupply of engineering technologists/technicians regionally or within particular employment sectors or job categories?

QUESTION: How is increasing automation, and technological developments more generally, changing the nature of work for engineering technicians and technologists?

Objective 3: Describe the characteristics of US engineering technology education programs related to such things as curriculum and faculty professional development; outreach to/partnerships with K-12 schools, industry, and other organizations; and communication and collaboration with engineering education programs.

QUESTION: To what degree are curricula, professional development, and institutional policies supporting or hindering efforts to meet employer needs and expectations?

QUESTION: In what ways and to what effects are engineering technology programs connected to other parts of the K-16 education system, including engineering education?

QUESTION: How transferable (e.g., to different technology types, regions, or career paths) are the knowledge and skills learned in engineering technology programs?

QUESTION: What is the extent and nature of articulation between and among 2- and 4-year engineering technology programs and between these programs and engineering programs?

Data Gathering

Data gathering for the project consisted of (1) collection and analysis of the relevant published literature; (2) review of relevant federal education and employment datasets; (3) a survey of ET education programs and a survey of a sample of companies that hire graduates from these programs; and (4) a stakeholder workshop.

To conduct the review of federal datasets, the project hired a consultant, Daniel Kuehn, a research associate at the Urban Institute with considerable knowledge of the STEM workforce. Educational data assembled by Kuehn provided information on the rate of production and the demographic composition of new engineering technicians and technologists. Enrollment and graduation trends offer a great deal of insight into the supply of engineering technicians and technologists, although a full picture of their supply and demand requires analysis of labor market data. Movements in labor supply and demand have predictable impacts on earnings and employment reported in the large surveys of workers and firms conducted by the Census Bureau, the Department of Labor, and (in the case of the STEM labor market) the NSF. The educational datasets used in this study were IPEDS, the Baccalaureate and Beyond 2008/2009 (B&B), and the Career/Technical Education (CTE) Statistics. Each of these datasets is produced and distributed by the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics.

The labor market datasets used in the study were the American Community Survey (ACS), the Current Population Survey (CPS), the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) database, and the National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG). These data are made available by a variety of government agencies and present the STEM workforce generally and engineering technicians and technologists in particular in varying degrees of detail.

TABLE 1-10 Summary of Data Sources

These datasets are summarized in Table 1-10 , and an additional description of each dataset is provided in Appendix B .

The survey of educational programs was conducted by the NAE. The survey of employers was conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers under contract to NAE.

At various points in the project, we encountered gaps in the available data, which limited our ability to address aspects of the statement of task. One key gap relates to the availability of data regarding the work experiences of students with 2-year ET degrees. This gap and several others are discussed at greater length in other sections of the report, and in some cases, they are addressed in our recommendations.

The committee’s report is organized into five chapters. Chapter 2 contains a brief history of ET education. Chapter 3 discusses the production of ET talent, and Chapter 4 considers the employment of ET talent. Chapter 5 contains the committee’s findings and recommendations.

ASME (American Society of Manufacturing Engineers). 2012. Pathways to careers in mechanical engineering. Unpublished.

Chandler, E.W., R.A. Strangeway, and O.G. Petersen. 2006. Engineering technology attributes inherent to applied engineering programs. Proceedings of the 2006 Mid-Atlantic Section Conference of the American Society for Engineering Education.

EAC (Engineering Accreditation Commission). 2015. Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs. Effective for Reviews During the 2016-2017 Accreditation Cycle. ABET. Available online at www.abet.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/E001-16-17-EACCriteria-10-20-15.pdf (May 5, 2016).

ETAC (Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission). 2014. Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Technology Programs. Effective for Reviews During the 2015-2016 Accreditation Cycle. ABET. Available online at www.abet.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/T001-15-16-ETAC-Criteria-05-04-15.pdf (May 5, 2016).

Grinter, L.E. 1955. Report of the ASEE committee on evaluation of engineering education. Journal of Engineering Education 46:26-60.

Harris, J.G., E.M. DeLoatch, W.R. Grogan, I.C. Peden, J.R. Winnery. 1994. Journal of engineering education roundtable: Reflections on the Grinter report. Journal of Engineering Education 83(1): 69-94.

IEA (International Engineering Alliance). 2014. International Engineering Alliance: Educational Accords—Washington Accord 1989, Sydney Accord 2001, Dublin Accord 2002. Available online at www.ieagreements.org/Rules_and_Procedures.pdf?8138 (August 19, 2015).

Kelnhofer, R., R. Strangeway, E. Chandler, and O. Petersen. Future of engineering technology—A proposal. Paper presented at the 2010 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky, June 2010.

Land, R.E. 2012. Engineering technologists are engineers. Journal of Engineering Technology , pp. 32-29. Spring 2012.

NAE (National Academy of Engineering). 2004. The Engineer of 2020. Visions of Engineering in the New Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

NAE. 2005. Educating the Engineer of 2020: Adapting Engineering Education to the New Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

NAS, NAE, and NRC (National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and National Research Council). 2010. Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited: Rapidly Approaching Category 5. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

NSF (National Science Foundation). 2016a. Science & Engineering Indicators 2016. Appendix Table 2-21. Undergraduate enrollment in engineering and engineering technology programs: 1997–2013. Available online at www.nsf.gov/statistics/2016/nsb20161/uploads/1/12/at02-21.pdf (May 3, 2016).

NSF. 2016b. Science & Engineering Indicators 2016. Appendix Table 2-35. First university degrees, by selected region/country/economy: 2012 or most recent year. Available online at www.nsf.gov/statistics/2016/nsb20161/uploads/1/12/at02-35.pdf (May 5, 2016).

OPM (Office of Personnel Management). 2012. Qualification Standards. All Professional Engineering Positions, 0800. Available online at www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/allprofessional-engineering-positions-0800/ (June 13, 2016).

Rezak, W.D., and A.L. McHenry. 1997. Should the bachelor of engineering technology become an applied engineering program? Journal of Engineering Technology 14(1): 8-9.

USDOL (US Department of Labor). 2008. Fact Sheet #17O: Technologists and Technicians and the Part 541 Exemptions Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Wage and Hour Division. Revised July 2008. Available online at www.dol.gov/whd/overtime/fs17o_technicians.pdf (May 27, 2016).

Wadhwa, V., G. Gereffi, B. Rissing, and R. Ong. 2007. Where the engineers are. Issues in Science and Technology 23(3), Spring 2007.

This page intentionally left blank.

• What Is CTE?

Today’s cutting-edge, rigorous and relevant career and technical education (CTE) prepares youth and adults for a wide range of high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers. Learn more with our Basic Facts,   Policy and Advocacy Publications and State Fact Sheets .

Download Infographic

• ACTE’s Mission
• Get Involved

Press Center

• Press Releases
• CTE in the News
• State Fact Sheets
• Economic Impacts

Publications

• CTE Publications
• CTE Policy Watch Blog
• Take Action
• Advocacy Resources

ACTE® 1410 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 P: 800-826-9972 F: 703-683-7424

Professional Development

• ACTE Awards
• High-quality CTE Tools
• Leadership Development
• Online Learning

• Our Mission

Career and Technical Education: Research Roundup

Career academies have been around in one form or another for four decades, but these days they're in a groove. It's not often in education research that numerous studies reach similar conclusions on the same subject. So reform-minded educators and lawmakers paid heed to the positive notices for career and technical education. We asked leading researchers to analyze the leading studies on different models of career and technical education. David Stern, principal investigator for the Career Academy Support Network and Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of California, Berkeley, reviews career academies, while Marisa Saunders and Erica Hamilton with the Institute for Democracy, Education and Access at the University of California, Los Angeles, examine the newer Linked Learning approach. Here's what they found:

From Vocational Education to Career-Technical Education: A Capsule History and Summary of Research

By David Stern University of California, Berkeley

In the 1980s, what was then called vocational education (VE) started evolving toward what is now called career-technical education (CTE). VE courses were explicitly intended to prepare high school students for direct entry into full-time work -- not for college or university. In contrast, CTE courses are meant to fit together with classes in academic subjects so that high school students are prepared both for work and for postsecondary education.

The change from VE to CTE is apparent in federal legislation. The 1917 law that first authorized federal support for VE stipulated "that such education shall be of less than college grade." As recently as 1998, the federal VE law continued to define it as preparation for careers "other than careers requiring a baccalaureate, master's, or doctoral degree." But the 2006 reauthorization, which replaced the term "vocational" with "career and technical," finally eliminated the prohibition against preparing for careers that require a bachelor's or advanced degree.

Patterns of course-taking by high school students show a dramatic shift away from VE as a separate track. Among high school graduates who completed an occupational course sequence, the number who also completed the academic coursework expected for college jumped from 28 percent in 1982 to 88 percent in 2000. Thus almost all students who take an occupational course sequence are now also completing the academic core curriculum.

Several high school reform efforts have promoted the movement from VE to CTE. One of the most important is High Schools That Work (HSTW) , led by Gene Bottoms. Launched in 1987, HSTW aims "to prepare students for careers and further education by improving curriculum and instruction in high schools." HSTW now includes more than 1,200 sites in 32 states.

The spread of career academies also has contributed to the movement from VE to CTE. The career academy model was invented in Philadelphia in 1969 and spread to California and New York City during the 1980s. Available evidence (download) suggests the number of career academies nationwide has grown to about 7,000. A career academy is a small learning community within a larger high school, comprising a team of teachers who work with the same group of students during grades 10-12 or 9-12. Students at each grade level are scheduled together as a cohort to take a core set of academic classes and a technical class related to the theme of the academy (e.g., biotechnology, business, electronics, engineering, health, information technology, media and communications, among many others). Internships, mentorships, field trips, and other experiences link the school curriculum to the world of adult work. Career academies embody the CTE approach by fitting an occupational course sequence together with the academic coursework expected for college.

Research on Impacts of VE and CTE

Evaluations of career academies (download) provide the clearest evidence of benefits from combining an occupational course sequence with college-prep academic coursework. Several studies (download) in the 1980s and 1990s found that career academy students had greater success in high school and beyond, compared to similar students from the same high schools. Career academy students generally showed more improved attendance, credits, and grades. One study found that career academy students from a large district who entered a local university were more likely to complete their bachelor's degrees than other students from that district.

But since students must apply to be part of a career academy, it is possible that academy students were more highly motivated to begin with, so their greater success might not all be attributable to the academy experience. To avoid this ambiguity, MDRC conducted a major evaluation in which students were randomly assigned either to a career academy or to the regular high school program.

MDRC's study corroborated many of the earlier results. Notably, among students most at risk, 79 percent of academy students stayed in school through spring of senior year, compared to 68 percent of the control group. Eight years after high school, students assigned to academies had average monthly earnings of $2,112, compared with $1,896 for the control group. MDRC also found no significant differences in postsecondary educational attainment between the two groups.

There is other evidence on the effects of traditional VE and newer CTE, but the evidence is more ambiguous. Research on traditional VE compared outcomes for high school graduates who did not go on to postsecondary education. Students who took traditional VE courses obtained higher average earnings after high school. However, VE students may have been more work-oriented to begin with. The appeal of traditional VE has diminished as high school students realized that the highest-paying jobs required college degrees and set their sights on college in order to get these jobs.

CTE is meant to complement academic coursework. Several longitudinal studies in the 1980s and 1990s did find that high school students who took both an occupational course sequence and a core academic curriculum fared better after high school, both in the labor market and in postsecondary education. But these students may have been more highly motivated and well-organized to begin with, so it is not certain that their high school course-taking pattern accounts for their greater success.

High Schools That Work (HSTW) has required participating sites to administer a set of achievement tests in reading, mathematics, and science. HSTW reports have shown improvement in the scores of seniors who completed a sequence of four or more courses in a particular occupational area. However, it is possible that these trends are due to occupational courses in HSTW schools attracting more high-achieving students than before. To determine how much the HSTW intervention contributes to improved student achievement, it would be necessary to compare with similar non- HSTW schools. For these reasons, the jury is still out on whether HSTW actually causes gains in student achievement.

The evidence so far -- mainly the career academy evaluations and a recent study (download) on math-enriched CTE -- provides strong support for continued expansion of career academies, and for extension of the CTE college-and-career approach through efforts such as HSTW , programs of study that connect secondary and postsecondary education, and the Linked Learning initiative of the James Irvine Foundation . Evaluation of these new efforts will tell us whether a combined sequence of academic and CTE courses can benefit students not only in career academies but also in other educational settings.

Linking Learning to Life: A High School Transformation Effort

By Marisa Saunders and Erica Hamilton Institute for Democracy, Education and Access University of California, Los Angeles

Alicia (pseudonyms are used in reference to student participants) devoted her junior year in high school to raising young people's awareness of the environmental issues plaguing her community. Working for a real-world client -- an international non-profit -- Alicia created a multimedia campaign using solid science and social science arguments and the advanced graphic design and media skills she acquired in her high school classes. Alicia says these interdisciplinary projects, developed in collaboration with professionals in the field, have given her concrete career options. "That's their goal with every student," explained Alicia, "to try to get them to understand that it's not just high school… real life is coming quickly so you need to be prepared."

Alicia attends the school of Digital Media and Design (DMD), a public high school located in San Diego, California. DMD is one of a growing number of schools nationwide exploring a Linked Learning curricula. This approach to career technical education (CTE) challenges the high school practice of tracking students into either academic or trade-skills courses, by offering an integrated curriculum that prepares all students for college, career and civic participation.

Linked Learning seeks to transform high schools, but it's not a one-size-fits-all approach. Each school's program may differ in size, thematic focus, schedule, etc. However, all Linked Learning schools share four key components:

• College-preparatory coursework that prepare all students for success in colleges, universities, and other postsecondary programs. Courses use project-based learning or other engaging instructional strategies that provide real-world context and relevance to the curriculum.
• Professional/technical coursework for all students that is well-grounded in academic and professional standards.
• Field-based learning opportunities that expose students to real-world and workplace environments where they can learn from adults outside the school through mentorships, job-shadowing, virtual apprenticeships and project-based learning.
• Additional support services, including counseling and supplemental instruction to meet each student's particular needs. This critical component ensures all students are provided access and opportunities for success in both college and career preparatory coursework.

These strategies aren't new. Career academies , for example, have been around for over 40 years. Although academies are not the only model for infusing a college-preparatory curriculum with a career theme, they are a well-researched approach.

Evaluations of career academies have shown a positive impact (download) on academic outcomes such as high school attendance, credits earned, grade point averages, and graduation rates. Research (download) also suggests that career academies have a positive effect on students' postsecondary opportunities including increased college attendance and increased earnings. What these studies do not take into account are the characteristics and motivation of students who choose to attend career academies. A random-assignment evaluation of career academies, conducted by MDRC, addresses this question of selection bias. This evaluation confirmed the positive outcomes found in previous studies, especially for students considered at high risk of dropping out when they entered the programs. The MDRC study also found that academy students have better knowledge of the range of careers and the skills they require. These findings provide important evidence that participation in career academies increased post-high school graduation employment rates and earnings, without reducing college preparedness or postsecondary credential completion. Unfortunately, it is difficult to ascertain which Linked Learning components contribute to these positive outcomes.

Additional studies of Linked Learning programs in California are underway. Preliminary findings are consistent with the optimistic evaluations of career academies. A current study of 10 Linked Learning programs in California, for example, has so far found that students in these programs have dramatically lower dropout rates and slightly higher graduation rates, than the state as a whole, and are more likely to graduate with the courses required for admission to California's public universities.

Linked Learning schools also appear to foster students' career and civic capacities. Eighty-nine percent of students at Linked Learning sites agreed that their school was preparing them for success in career, while 49% indicated that "helping others in the community" is "very important" compared to 35% of a national sample. Similarly, the number of Linked Learning students who responded that "correcting social and economic inequalities" is "very important" was almost double the rate of students in a national sample (34% vs. 18%). As one student commented, "It's a place for you to learn and learn about yourself and grow and do something that's beneficial for the community."

The potential of Linked Learning compels our attention, even with the challenges of bridging the long-standing divide between academic and job-training classes in high school. Upcoming research on effective implementation strategies and practices may ease that transformation.

Elk Grove Unified School District And Bravo Medical Magnet High School

Per pupil expenditures, free / reduced lunch, demographics:.

The above demographics are for Bravo Medical Magnet High School. The demographics for Elk Grove Unified School District are as follows: 26% Hispanic, 25% White, 23% Asian, 18% Black, 6% Filipino, 2% Pacific Islander, 1% Native American

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

INTRODUCTION AND CONCEPT OF VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION

This paper is focused on creating an enabling environment for the teaching and learning of vocational and technical education in our schools and other institutions of learning. It means that environment has a strong influence in teaching and learning processes, because effective teaching can only take place in an environment that is organized, motivating and peaceful. The environment where teaching and learning in vocational and technical education takes place is an important educational factor that needs to be considered by everyone concerned, the environment needs adequate attention in the area of infrastructural facilities, and made conducive for learning purposes in order to achieve the set goals and objectives.

Related Papers

Problems of Education in the 21st Century

Anita Zaļaiskalne

IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education (IOSRJRME)

Journal of Physics: Conference Series

I Made Candiasa

Liudmyla Ilich

The article is devoted to the study of international experience in organizing vocational education. The differences in educational systems, expectancy learning in secondary schools and average length of education in secondary schools around the world are explored in the work. Enrolment in technical and vocational education in the world is constantly growing that explained by the desire all nations to raising the educational level of population and prolongation of compulsory and vocational education. The majority of secondary schools in the world differ in the approaches to organizing of academic and vocational education. Differences depend on specifics of organization general education system, territorial location and national traditions etc. However the common feature of all countries is that academic training prepares students for college or university and vocational — for the labor market. The article reveals highlights the main characteristics of organization technical and vocational education in the developed countries of the world. The main ways of improving the national system of technical and vocational education are also determined in the article. Keywords: pre-vocational and vocational education, competency, competitiveness, quality of education, labor market.

Wolfgang Jacquet

If teachers and teacher educators are willing to support the learning of students, it is important for them to learn what motivates students to engage in learning. Students have their own preferences on design characteristics of powerful learning environments in vocational education. We developed an instrument - the Inventory Powerful Learning Environments in Vocational Education - to measure students’ preferences on characteristics of powerful learning environments in voca- tional education. We investigated whether student preferences on the design of their learning environments are in line with what is described in the literature as beneficial for learning. Data of 544 students show that the preferences of students support most characteristics of PLEs in vocational education. Looking through the eyes of students, teachers have to challenge their students and encourage them to take their learning in their own hands. Adaptive learning support is needed. Re- markable, students do not...

Journal of Engineering Research and Sciences

Ceyda Akıllı

Vocational and technical education institutions help to train individuals in a wellequipped manner, increase their employability level, and provide workforce in areas that countries need. Vocational and technical education is of great importance in terms of ensuring the development of countries at the national and international level, training qualified intermediate staff and increasing employment opportunities. Despite the innovations and projects carried out in the vocational and technical education process; educators and students face many problems in the process. The aim of this research is to examine the solution proposals for the problems experienced in vocational and technical education institutions in terms of management, program and application. In the research, the situation analysis design, which is among the qualitative research methods, was used. Focus group interview technique was used in order to examine the subject discussed in the research in detail. A semistructure...

Mevlana International Journal of Education

Mehmet Arif ÖZERBAŞ

Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Research of Educational Administration and Management (ICREAM 2019)

Herdina Yulia Agustin

Nor Hidayah Roslee

RELATED PAPERS

동인천출장안마『카아톡NW30 』ロ「SOD30.NET」동인천출장샵ロ동인천출장아가씨ロ동인천출장샵ロ동인천출장마사지ロ동인천모텔출장ロ동인천출장샵추천

JcfeGL zhqz

Augustas Ramonas

Human Resources for Health

Mireya Martinez-Garcia

Isabel Pombo Cardoso

Shifra Barneveld

Dominic J. Benford

India Rediscovered: Re-assessing the Legacy of Alexander Cunningham, Atul Tripathi (ed.)

Sanjay Garg

The Proceedings of Design & Systems Conference

Shuichi Fukuda

BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE - Revista de Agricultura

Adalton Raga

Annali italiani di medicina interna : organo ufficiale della Societa italiana di medicina interna

Franca Sanciu

Bibliodoc Anuari De Biblioteconomia Documentacio I Informacio

Alice Keefer

Jasa saluran Mampet jakarta

European Heart Journal

ADNAN MUHAMMAD SANI

Frontiers in Oncology

Alfredo Mellano

Physical Review E

Jens-Uwe Sommer

ITU Journal on Future and Evolving Technologies

ARTHUR NASCIMENTO

Beata Mytych-Forajter

Dalton Transactions

Ana Margarida Martins

JETP Letters

Oleg Bogdanov

Pediatric Radiology

Richard Towbin

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

Lesson 1: Introduction and Overview of CTE

What is career and technical education.

The term "Career and Technical Education" is used to refer to a diverse range of educational activities designed to prepare students to gain entry-level employment in high skill, high wage, and high demand occupations or to continue their education in a chosen career field. Continue reading below to learn how Career and Technical Education is defined by the U.S. Department of Education.

Career and Technical Education is defined in the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 as organized educational activities that:

Offer a sequence of courses that— provides individuals with coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in current or emerging professions; provides technical skill proficiency, an industry-recognized credential, a certificate, or an associate degree; and may include prerequisite courses (other than a remedial course) that meet the requirements of this subparagraph: and include competency-based applied learning that contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, and occupation-specific skills, and knowledge of all aspects of an industry, including entrepreneurship, of an individual.

Source: Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006, PL 109–270, Sec. 3. Definitions

You will learn more about the Carl D. Perkins Act later in Lesson 1.

What is the Purpose of CTE?

Career and Technical Education is a cornerstone of a national initiative to increase the competitiveness of the U.S. workforce in the global economy. It provides students with:

core academic skills and how to apply them to real-world situations in the workplace or daily life, employability skills essential in any career, job-specific, technical skills related to a specific career pathway.

Career and Technical Education gives students a foundation for career success by integrating rigorous academic content with job-specific technical skills and hands-on learning. Students who complete a CTE program of study in high school will be prepared to obtain an entry-level position or pursue more advanced education and training in their chosen career field.

The Carl D. Perkins Act challenges Career and Technical Education programs to prepare students for "high skill, high wage, and high demand occupations in current or emerging professions.

What is the Carl D. Perkins Act?

The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 is the current federal legislation governing Career and Technical Education programs in the United States. It was passed almost unanimously by Congress in late July 2006 as a means of raising the quality of technical education within the United States and enhancing the national economy. The Perkins Act, which extends through 2012, provides almost $1.3 billion in federal support for career and technical education programs in all 50 states.                  

The Perkins Act was first authorized in 1984 as the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Act. It was reauthorized in 1990 as the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act (Perkins II) and again in 1998 as the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act (Perkins III). The   renaming of the Perkins Act to the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act (Perkins IV) represented a distinct philosophical shift with regards to preparing secondary students for the workplace.

A Solution to 21st Century Challenges

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the world has experienced increased globalization and rapid technological advances. To stay competitive, the United States needs a skilled workforce. In 2003, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported that employers were finding it harder and harder to find applicants for entry level positions requiring technical skills. At the same time, high school dropout rates were increasing. The Carl D. Perkins Act was amended and improved in 2006 as a means of addressing these 21st century challenges. The focus was no longer on "vocational" programs but on "career and technical education" instead.

What is the Difference between Vocational Education and CTE?

A vocation is defined as an occupation to which one is well suited, a trade, or a calling. A career is a general course or progression of one's work life, a chosen pursuit, profession, or occupation.

A precedent for separating academic and vocational instruction and funding was set by the first federal vocational education act, the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917. Its intent was to protect vocational funding for job-specific skills training. However, it resulted in the separation of vocational and academic students into separate "tracks." In the 1960s, Federal Vocational Education Acts began placing greater emphasis on providing assistance to disadvantaged individuals. The unintended consequence of this emphasis was that vocational education came to be viewed as a track for students who could not succeed in the academic track.

The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 was a direct response to the challenges posed by a new knowledge-based, global economy and a widening gap between well-paying jobs and unemployed, under-educated workers. The shift from "vocational education" to "career and technical education" moves the focus to preparing students for productive long-term careers.

To accomplish this, Career and Technical Education integrates academic and technical education into career pathways students can follow through high school into an entry-level job or postsecondary training and education. There are countless career pathways, so ideally, each student will work with his or her counselor to create an individual career pathway that will lead to a chosen career. Students will individualize their career pathways by selecting from courses and activities which are organized within "Career Clusters."

What are Career Clusters?

Career Clusters are groupings of occupations and industries. They provide a context for students to learn knowledge and skills specific to their chosen careers. Career Clusters also serve as an organizational tool to enable educators to structure the curriculum.

There are sixteen federally defined Career Clusters. Within each Career Cluster there are various Programs of Study, or career pathways. These Programs of Study are designed to guide students in selecting coursework and activities to achieve their career goals.

All of the Career Clusters include core academic skills plus employability skills essential to any career including:

• Communications
• Problem-solving and critical thinking
• Information technology systems
• Leadership and teamwork
• Ethics and legal responsibilities
• Safety, health, and environmental
• Employability and career development

Each Career Cluster also includes knowledge and skills specific to industries and occupations within the group.

Although each Career Cluster is somewhat specific, the organization and structure of each Career Cluster includes academic and technical knowledge and skills for a broad grouping of occupations and industries. This allows students participating in any given Career Cluster to pursue a wide range of career opportunities, from entry-level all the way through management and professional levels.

The following pages show the icons developed and adopted at the federal level to represent each of the clusters, along with a brief description of each cluster.

Career Clusters

Business Management and Administration careers encompass planning, organizing, directing and evaluating business functions essential to efficient and productive business operations. Business Management and Administration career opportunities are available in every sector of the economy.

Careers in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources involve the production, processing, marketing,distribution, financing, and development of agricultural commodities and resources. These include food, fiber, wood products, natural resources, horticulture, and other plant and animal products or resources.

Architecture and Construction careers are involved in designing, planning, managing, building, and maintaining the built environment.

Arts, A/V Technology and Communications careers encompass the designing, producing, exhibiting, performing, writing, and publishing of multimedia content, including visual and performing arts and design, journalism, and entertainment services.

Education and Training careers include planning, managing, and providing education and training services, as well as related learning support services.

Finance careers revolve around planning and providing services in the areas of financial and investment planning, banking, insurance, and business financial management.

Government and Public Administration careers involve executing governmental functions in the realms of planning, management, governance, national security, foreign service, revenue and taxation, and regulation - at the local, state, and federal levels.

Health Science careers involve the planning, managing, and provision of therapeutic services, diagnostic services, health informatics, support services, and biotechnology research and development.

Hospitality and Tourism encompasses the management, marketing, and operations of restaurants and other food services, lodging, attractions, recreation events, and travel-related services.

Human Service careers prepare individuals for employment in career pathways that relate to families and human needs.

Information Technology careers build linkages within the framework of IT occupations for entry-level, technical, and professional careers related to the design, development, support, and management of hardware, software, multimedia, and systems integration services.

Careers in Law, Public Safety, and Corrections and Security revolve around planning, managing, and providing legal, public safety, protective services, and homeland security, including professional and technical support services.

Manufacturing careers encompass planning, managing, and performing the processing of materials into intermediate or final products, as well as related professional and technical support activities such as production planning and control, maintenance, and manufacturing or process engineering.

Careers in Marketing involve planning, managing, and performing marketing activities to reach organizational objectives.

Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics involve providing scientific research, professional and technical services, laboratory and testing services, and research and development in areas such as physical science, social science or engineering.

Careers in Transportation, Distribution and Logistics encompass planning, management, and movement of people, materials, and goods by road, pipeline, air, rail, and water. It also includes related professional and technical support services such as transportation infrastructure planning and management, logistics services, mobile equipment, and facility maintenance.

Lesson 1 Quiz

Copy and paste the link code above.

Related Items

• Walk In Notification

• Global Learning
• Global Investments
• Global Workspace
• Help Center

Connect with us Online!

As we navigate through these challenging times, our primary aim is to service our community and to ensure your safety.

To protect the wellbeing of our student, university, and people community, we introduced a digital infrastructure last year, and we now seamlessly connect with all our communities online!

If you want to connect or to discuss anything related to your Global Ed, Learning, or Mobility journey, you can schedule a meeting with us and all of these bookings will be done virtually now!

Once you've sent us your info, we will send you a link so you can log in for your slot!

Do note that there are no walk-ins at the moment - since we value your safety more than anything else. You can log on to the student portal to connect with us.

What Does Technical Education Mean For You?

Technical education can provide a wide range of opportunities in today’s world.

It can be said that today’s technology depends on a country’s most important resource – skilled workers. A technically sound population can contribute to a country’s overall economy by being a part of manufacturing, designing, developing, and maintaining goods and services.

But, it’s important to understand what technical education means.

We look at it here. We also look at some of the best universities across the world that offer great technical education.

What is Technical Education?

What are the types of technical education, what are the most popular technical roles.

• Why is Technical education important for students?

What are the most popular universities for technical roles?

• What does Technical Education mean? Here’s a myth buster…

What is meant by Technical Education?

It helps to prepare students for a career where they can apply scientific and technical principles to create solutions. Technical education focuses on providing industrial training and imparting knowledge for specific purposes that help to build or improve one’s career. The field helps in understanding the fundamentals of how things work and how they can be designed/manufactured from the ground up.

In order to become a technically skilled worker, one would need to learn subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, electronics, engineering, and other applied sciences. Today, the demand for people with technical skills has increased exponentially, due to the growth of technology and innovations. And demand is only set to grow vertically. Development, in terms of both industrial as well as technical, is bound to be an offshoot of great technical education.

Technical or vocational education is typically a post-high-school curriculum that is offered in different kinds of institutions, resulting in different degrees. The scope of this education system is to learn practical applications of the sciences to carry out highly skilled jobs.

A few decades ago, the best examples of technical education would be refrigeration repair technology, carpentry, and such. Now, the scope has increased exponentially, to include niche areas such as modern electronics, the internet, data sciences , medical technology, and so forth.

You can look at technical education from two standpoints: knowledge-based and industry-based. The former is what a conventional higher education/ college/ university degree will give you. It begins at a theoretical level which is then applied to your area of work. It results in a bachelor’s and then a master’s degree.

The latter is a more non-conventional form of learning given by vocational schools, polytechnic colleges, ITIs, junior colleges or specialized technical institutes where the learning model in itself is based directly on practical applications.

These institutions offer industrial training programmes that result in a diploma or an equivalent certification. Enrollment in these institutions can take place on completion of Standard 10 or after Standard 12. However, while applying for these courses abroad, the minimum requirement is the completion of Standard 12.

Just like university education, these also come in different levels: diploma, graduate, postgraduate and specialized research.

In India, all institutions offering technical education come under the purview of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Each state also has a Directorate of Technical Education to maintain and enhance the quality of technical education.

Technical education has a wide array of fields to choose from based on one’s interest. Due to its highly specialized nature of training, technical education focuses on providing a more hands-on approach than general education. Some of the opportunities that await those who are interested in technical education and look forward to a career related to it are listed below.

• Data Scientist – A Data Scientist makes use of available data to form meaningful insights and to derive information that is valuable in one sense or another. They make use of multiple disciplines including mathematics, computing, algorithms, and others for the purpose of gleaning information.  
• Machine Learning Engineer – Machine Learning Engineers are responsible for designing and developing artificial intelligence-based approaches that can help to simplify tasks or to perform complex computations.
• Economists – Economists help to formulate economic models and policies using their knowledge of how an economy should work, based on their observations of markets or financial systems.
• Programmer – Programmers write pieces of code (sometimes known as programs or source code) that become part of the software or any other electronically transmitted media that are used by people, across different platforms. Programs connect the underlying hardware of a device with the software that users interact with.
• Social Media/Digital Media Marketing and Strategy Specialist – Without actively promoting ideas and services on the Internet, it is virtually impossible to turn a venture into one that is successful. Social media marketing and strategy specialists understand their products and services and study their clientele so that they know how and when to promote their offerings.
• Manufacturing – Manufacturing involves a whole lot of complex processes and requires those who can handle machinery, equipment, computers, and other systems. It also requires one to be technically sound and to have a sharp eye for detail.
• Robotics Specialist – Robotics specialists design, maintain and manufacture robots that are industrial, commercial, or personal variants. They need to be experts in robotics, electronics, mathematics, computational models, artificial intelligence, and systems engineering.
• Agriculture – Agriculturists engage in agricultural activities where they cultivate and harvest crops. To achieve better results, agriculturists need to have knowledge about scientific methods of farming and understand how the market works in order to sell crops at competitive prices.
• Technical Writer – Technical writers need to be on top of their game to write about the latest technological trends. They also need to possess great communication skills to convey technical details in layman’s terms since most of the readers would be technology enthusiasts and not experts.
• Computer Hardware Engineer – They partake in the research, design, and development of hardware components. Without hardware engineers, it is impossible to imagine the current technological growth that we enjoy. Think of the latest Apple M1 Max processor!

Why is Technical Education important for students?

The system is such that it encourages self-learning and independence. It is more adaptable to the needs of the students and of the industry. Many institutions of technical education, offering courses at the diploma level do not follow a rigorous academic calendar. It gives students the flexibility to learn and upskill at any point. It is also comparatively more affordable than a university education. They are often supported and subsidised by a state government or other govt agencies to increase the number of skilled workers.

The stigma around technical education is also changing. The idea that a degree is better than a diploma is an old-school thought process. It is not the case anymore. Recruiters certainly don’t see it that way. Your set of skills is what sets you apart and students of technical education stand at an advantage. The demand is such that even universities are now establishing a department of technical education (DTE).

There are many institutions that offer technical education to those students who are looking to build a career out of it. Let’s take a look at some of the best universities that offer technical education.

Source – Top Universities

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

MIT boasts of one of the best-developed schools and departments that takes part in groundbreaking research and development.MIT’s engineering college, The School of Engineering, The School of Architecture and Planning, MIT Schwarzmann School of Computing, and The School of Science offer some of the best undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for those interested in technical careers post-high school.

• Stanford University

Stanford University has constantly been in the spotlight for its innovative research and for the quality of education they impart. Although vocational in terms of the education Stanford imparts, The School of Engineering and The School of Humanities and Sciences offer courses that focus on fields closely related to technical education.

• University of Cambridge

The School of Technology at the University of Cambridge offers courses in computer science and engineering at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The School of the Physical Sciences offers courses in mathematics, material science and metallurgy, physics, applied mathematics, and theoretical physics among others.

• ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

ETH Zurich has an array of programmes across disciplines such as engineering, natural sciences, mathematics, and civil engineering. These programmes are designed to help students to build highly creative and successful careers.

• University of California, Berkeley

The University of California, Berkeley offers technical programs including construction and sustainability, sciences, mathematics and biotechnology, technology and information management, and writing, editing, and technical communication. These courses are tailor-made to fit those who are looking forward to kickstarting a technical career.

What does Technical Education mean? Here's a myth buster...

You May Also Like:

• Top Technology Trends and Universities In 2022 !
• Read: What is the Internet of Behaviour

Filed under:

Share the insight.

Popular this week

University of Florida vs Florida State University: Which One is Better For You in 2024

USC vs Stanford: Which One is Better For You in 2024

Stanford vs UCLA: Which One is Better For You in 2024

University of Florida vs Florida State University - if this is the debate in your mind about the two universities

One of the more popular higher education debates if you are looking at California is that of USC vs Stanford.

Stanford vs UCLA is a debate that usually pops up if you are looking at world-class universities on the West

When researching higher education in New York, it's impossible to miss the debate of CUNY vs SUNY, especially for options

No spam, just your favourite topics.

Choose Insight topics that you are interested in to subscribe for your personalized newsletter.

Thanks for contacting us! We will reach you shortly and start our journey together.

• Terms of Service

Privileged and confidential

Terms of Use | August 24 2021

THE CHOPRAS GLOBAL HOLDINGS PTE LTD ("TC GLOBAL") END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT AND TERMS OF USE

PLEASE READ THESE TERMS OF USE CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE SERVICES OFFERED BY TC GLOBAL. THESE TERMS OF USE SET FORTH THE LEGALLY BINDING TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE AT https://tcglobal.com ("THE "SITE") AND THE SERVICES, FEATURES, CONTENT, APPLICATIONS OR WIDGETS OFFERED BY TC GLOBAL ("SERVICE") .

For the purposes of these Terms of Use, "TC Global" shall be deemed to include The Chopras Global Holdings Pte Ltd and/or its affiliates.

Acceptance of Terms

By registering for and/or using the Service in any manner, including but not limited to visiting or browsing the Site, you agree to all of the terms and conditions contained herein ("Terms of Use") and all other operating rules, policies and procedures that may be published from time to time on the Site by TC Global, each of which is incorporated by reference and each of which may be updated by TC Global from time to time without notice to you in accordance with the terms set out under the "Modification of Terms of Use" section below. In addition, some services offered through the Service may be subject to additional terms and conditions specified by TC Global from time to time; your use of such services is subject to those additional terms and conditions, which are incorporated into these Terms of Use by this reference. These Terms of Use apply to all users of the Service, including, without limitation, users who are contributors of content, information, and other materials or services on the Site, individual users of the Service, venues that access the Service, and users that have a page on the Service.

Subject to these Terms of Use, TC Global may offer to provide the Services, as described more fully on the Site, and which are selected by you, solely for your own use, and not for the use or benefit of any third party. Services shall include, but not be limited to, any services TC Global performs for you, any applications or widgets offered by TC Global that you download from the Site or, subject to the terms set out under the "Third party Sites and Services" section below, from third party application stores (eg. App Store, Play Store or Google Apps Marketplace) authorized by TC Global, as well as the offering of any materials displayed or performed on or through the Services (including Content (as defined below)).

Registration and Eligibility

You are required to register with TC Global to browse the Site, view Content and access the Services only and represent, warrant and covenant that you provide TC Global with accurate and complete registration information (including, but not limited to a user name ("User Name") , e-mail address and/or mobile telephone number and a password you will use to access the Service) and to keep your registration information accurate and up-to-date. Failure to do so shall constitute a breach of these Terms of Use, which may result in immediate termination of your TC Global account. We recommend, but do not require, that you use your own name as your User Name so your contacts can recognize you more easily. You shall not:

• Create any account for anyone other than yourself without such person's permission.
• Use a username that is the name of another person with the intent to impersonate that person.
• Use a username or TC Global account that is subject to any rights of a person other than you without appropriate authorization.
• Use a username that is a name that is otherwise offensive, vulgar or obscene or otherwise unlawful.

TC Global reserves the right to refuse registration of, or cancel a User Name at its sole discretion. You are solely responsible and liable for activity that occurs on your account and shall be responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your TC Global password. You shall never use another user's account without such other user's prior express permission. You will immediately notify TC Global in writing of any unauthorized use of your account, or other account related security breach of which you are aware.

You represent and warrant that if you are an individual, you are of legal age to form a binding contract, or that if you are registering on behalf of an entity or a minor, that you are lawfully authorized to enter into, and bind the entity or yourself (as the legal guardian of the minor) to, these Terms of Use and register for the Service. The Service is not available to individuals who are younger than 10 years old. TC Global may, in its sole discretion, refuse to offer the Service to any person or entity and change its eligibility criteria at any time.

You are solely responsible for ensuring that these Terms of Use are in compliance with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to you and the right to access the Service is revoked where these Terms of Use or use of the Service is prohibited and, in such circumstances, you agree not to use or access the Site or Services in any way.

If you use a mobile device, please be aware that your carrier's normal rates and fees, such as text messaging and data charges, will still apply. In the event you change or deactivate your mobile telephone number, you agree that you will update your account information on the Services within 48 hours to ensure that your messages are not sent to the person who acquires your old number.

All Content, whether publicly posted or privately transmitted, is the sole responsibility of the person who originated such Content. TC Global cannot guarantee the authenticity of any Content or data which users may provide about themselves. You acknowledge that all Content accessed by you using the Service is at your own risk and you will be solely responsible and liable for any damage or loss to you or any other party resulting therefrom. For purposes of these Terms of Use, the term "Content" includes, without limitation, any location information, video clips, audio clips, responses, information, data, text, photographs, software, scripts, graphics, and interactive features generated, provided, or otherwise made accessible by TC Global on or through the Service. Content added, created, uploaded, submitted, distributed, posted or otherwise obtained through the Service by users, including Content that is added to the Service in connection with users linking their accounts to third party websites and services, is collectively referred to as, "User Submissions" .

TC Global Content

The Service contains Content specifically provided by TC Global or its partners and such Content is protected by copyrights, trademarks, service marks, patents, trade secrets or other proprietary rights and laws, as applicable. You shall abide by and maintain all copyright notices, information, and restrictions contained in any Content accessed through the Service.

Subject to these Terms of Use, TC Global grants each user of the Site and/or Service a worldwide, non-exclusive, non-sub licensable and non-transferable license to use, modify and reproduce the Content, solely for personal, non-commercial use. Use, reproduction, modification, distribution or storage of any Content for other than personal, non-commercial use is expressly prohibited without prior written permission from TC Global, or from the copyright holder identified in such Content's copyright notice, as applicable. You shall not sell, license, rent, or otherwise use or exploit any Content for commercial (whether or not for profit) use or in any way that violates any third party right.

User Submissions

We may use your User Submissions in a number of different ways in connection with the Site, Service and TC Global's business as TC Global may determine in its sole discretion, including but not limited to, publicly displaying it, reformatting it, incorporating it into marketing materials, advertisements and other works, creating derivative works from it, promoting it, distributing it, and allowing other users to do the same in connection with their own websites, media platforms, and applications ("Third Party Media") . By submitting User Submissions on the Site or otherwise through the Service, you hereby do and shall grant TC Global a worldwide, non- exclusive, royalty-free, fully paid, sub licensable and transferable license to use, copy, edit, modify, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, perform, and otherwise fully exploit the User Submissions in connection with the Site, the Service and TC Global's (and its successors and assigns') business, including without limitation for promoting and redistributing part or all of the Site (and derivative works thereof) or the Service in any media formats and through any media channels (including, without limitation, third party websites and feeds). You also hereby do and shall grant each user of the Site and/or the Service, including Third Party Media, a non-exclusive license to access your User Submissions through the Site and the Service, and to use, edit, modify, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display and perform such User Submissions in connection with their use of the Site, Service and Third Party Media. For clarity, the foregoing license grant to TC Global does not affect your other ownership or license rights in your User Submission(s), including the right to grant additional licenses to the material in your User Submission(s), unless otherwise agreed in writing with TC Global.

You represent and warrant that you have all rights to grant such license to us without infringement or violation of any third party rights, including without limitation, any privacy rights, publicity rights, copyrights, contract rights, or any other intellectual property or proprietary rights.

You understand that all information publicly posted or privately transmitted through the Site is the sole responsibility of the person from whom such Content originated; that TC Global will not be liable for any errors or omissions in any Content; and that TC Global cannot guarantee the identity of any other users with whom you may interact in the course of using the Service.

You should be aware that the opinions expressed in the Content in User Submissions are theirs alone and do not reflect the opinions of TC Global. TC Global is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied in User Submissions or in relation to any comments that are posted.

You should bear in mind that circumstances change and that information that may have been accurate at the time of posting will not necessarily remain so.

When you delete your User Submissions, they will be removed from the Service. However, you understand that any removed User Submissions may persist in backup copies for a reasonable period of time (but following removal will not be shared with others) or may remain with users who have previously accessed or downloaded your User Submissions.

Rules and Conduct

As a condition of use, you promise not to use the Service for any purpose that is prohibited by these Terms of Use. You are responsible for all of your activity in connection with the Service.

Additionally, you shall abide by all applicable local, state, national and international laws and regulations and, if you represent a business, any advertising, marketing, privacy, or other self-regulatory code(s) applicable to your industry.

By way of example, and not as a limitation, you shall not (and shall not permit any third party to) either (a)take any action or (b)upload, download, post, submit or otherwise distribute or facilitate distribution of any Content on or through the Service, including without limitation any User Submission, that:

• belongs to another person and to which the user does not have any right;
• is defamatory, obscene, pornographic, pedophilic, invasive of another's privacy, including bodily privacy, insulting or harassing on the basis of gender, libelous, racially or ethnically objectionable, relating or encouraging money laundering or gambling, or otherwise inconsistent with or contrary to the laws in force;
• is harmful to a minor;
• infringes any patent, trademark, copyright or other proprietary rights;
• violates any law for the time being in force;
• deceives or misleads the addressee about the origin of the message or knowingly and intentionally communicates any information which is patently false or misleading in nature but may reasonably be perceived as a fact;
• impersonates another person;
• threatens the unity, integrity, defence, security or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign states, or public order, or causes incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence or prevents investigation of any offence or is insulting other nation;
• contains software virus or any other computer code, file or program designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer resource;
• is patently false and untrue, and is written or published in any form, with the intent to mislead or harass a person, entity or agency for financial gain or to cause any injury to any person.

Additionally, you agree not to:

• contact anyone who has asked not to be contacted, or makes unsolicited contact with anyone for any commercial purpose, specifically, contact any user to post an advertisement on a third party website or post any advertisement on behalf of such user; or to "stalk" or otherwise harass anyone;
• make any libelous or defamatory comments or postings to or against anyone;
• collect personal data about other users or entities for commercial or unlawful purposes;
• use automated means, including spiders, robots, crawlers, data mining tools, or the like to download or scrape data from the Site, except for internet search engines (eg. Google) and non-commercial public archives (e.g. archive.org) that comply with our robots.txt file;
• post Content that is outside the local area or not relevant to the local area, repeatedly post the same or similar Content, or otherwise impose unreasonable or disproportionately large loads on our servers and other infrastructure;
• attempt to gain unauthorized access to computer systems owned or controlled by TC Global or engage in any activity that disrupts, diminishes the quality of, interferes with the performance of, or impairs the functionality of, the Service or the Site.
• use any automated device or software that enables the submission of automatic postings on TC Global without human intervention or authorship (an "automated posting device" ), including without limitation, the use of any such automated posting device in connection with bulk postings, or for automatic submission of postings at certain times or intervals; or
• Any Content uploaded by you shall be subject to relevant laws and may disabled, or and may be subject to investigation under appropriate laws. Furthermore, if you are found to be in non-compliance with the laws and regulations, these terms, or the privacy policy of the Site, we may terminate your account/block your access to the Site and we reserve the right to remove any non-compliant Content uploaded by you.

TC Global does not guarantee that any Content or User Submissions (as defined above) will be made available on the Site or through the Service. TC Global has no obligation to monitor the Site, Service, Content, or User Submissions. However, TC Global reserves the right to (i) remove, suspend, edit or modify any Content in its sole discretion, including without limitation any User Submissions at any time, without notice to you and for any reason (including, but not limited to, upon receipt of claims or allegations from third parties or authorities relating to such Content or if TC Global is concerned that you may have violated these Terms of Use), or for no reason at all and (ii) to remove, suspend or block any User Submissions from the Service. TC Global also reserves the right to access, read, preserve, and disclose any information as TC Global reasonably believes is necessary to (i) satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or governmental request, (ii) enforce these Terms of Use, including investigation of potential violations hereof, (iii) detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues, (iv) respond to user support requests, or (v) protect the rights, property or safety of TC Global, its users and the public.

Technical Failures

It is possible that you may face disruptions, including, but not limited to errors, disconnections or interferences in communication in the internet services, software or hardware that you have used to avail our Service. TC Global is not responsible for such factors in the disruption or interruption in the Service and you take full responsibility with complete knowledge for any risk of loss or damages caused due to interruption of services for any such reasons.

Advertisements, Third Party Sites and Services

Some of the TC Global Services are supported by advertising revenue and may display advertisements, promotions, and links to third-party websites. You hereby agree that TC Global may place such advertising and promotions on the TC Global Services or on, about, or in conjunction with your Content. The manner, mode and extent of such advertising and promotions are subject to change without specific notice to you.

The Service may permit you to link to other websites, services or resources on the Internet, and other websites, services or resources may contain links to the Site. When you access third party websites, you do so at your own risk. These other websites are not under TC Global's control, and you acknowledge that TC Global is not responsible or liable for the content, functions, accuracy, legality, appropriateness or any other aspect of such websites or resources. The inclusion of any such link does not imply endorsement by TC Global or any association with its operators. You further acknowledge and agree that TC Global shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such Content, goods or services available on or through any such website or resource.

Termination

TC Global may terminate your access to all or any part of the Service at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice, effective immediately, which may result in the forfeiture and destruction of all information associated with your membership. If you wish to terminate your account, you may do so by contacting us at [email protected] till we develop the procedure on the website and apps. Any fees paid hereunder are non-refundable. All provisions of these Terms of Use which by their nature should survive termination shall survive termination, including, without limitation, ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity and limitations of liability.

Warranty Disclaimer

Save to the extent required by law, TC Global has no special relationship with or fiduciary duty to you. You acknowledge that TC Global has no control over, and no duty to take any action regarding: which users gain access to the Service; what Content you access via the Service; what effects the Content may have on you; how you may interpret or use the Content; or what actions you may take as a result of having been exposed to the Content.

You release TC Global from all liability for you having acquired or not acquired Content through the Service. The Service may contain, or direct you to websites containing, information that some people may find offensive or inappropriate. TC Global makes no representations concerning any Content contained in or accessed through the Service, and TC Global will not be responsible or liable for the accuracy, copyright compliance, legality or decency of material contained in or accessed through the Service and cannot be held liable for any third-party claims, losses or damages.

You release us from all liability relating to your connections and relationships with other users. You understand that we do not, in any way, screen users, nor do we inquire into the backgrounds of users or attempt to verify their backgrounds or statements. We make no representations or warranties as to the conduct of users or the veracity of any information users provide. In no event shall we be liable for any damages whatsoever, whether direct, indirect, general, special, compensatory, consequential, and/or incidental, arising out of or relating to the conduct of you or anyone else in connection with the Services, including, without limitation, bodily injury, emotional distress, and any damages resulting in any way from communications or meetings with users or persons you may otherwise meet through the Services. As such, you agree to take reasonable precautions and exercise the utmost personal care in all interactions with any individual you come into contact with through the Service, particularly if you decide to meet such individuals in person. For example, you should not, under any circumstances, provide your financial information (e.g., credit card or bank account numbers) to other individuals.

THE SITE, SERVICE AND CONTENT ARE PROVIDED "AS IS", "AS AVAILABLE" AND ARE PROVIDED WITHOUT ANY REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF TITLE, NONINFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND ANY WARRANTIES IMPLIED BY ANY COURSE OF PERFORMANCE OR USAGE OF TRADE, ALL OF WHICH ARE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED, SAVE TO THE EXTENT REQUIRED BY LAW.

TC GLOBAL, AND ITS AFFILIATES, TEAM, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES, SUPPLIERS, PARTNERS AND CONTENT PROVIDERS DO NOT WARRANT THAT: (A) THE SERVICE WILL BE SECURE OR AVAILABLE AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME OR LOCATION; (B) ANY DEFECTS OR ERRORS WILL BE CORRECTED; (C) ANY CONTENT OR SOFTWARE AVAILABLE AT OR THROUGH THE SERVICE IS FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS; OR (D) THE RESULTS OF USING THE SERVICE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS. YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE, SERVICE AND CONTENT IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. SOME STATES / COUNTRIES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

Indemnification

You shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless TC Global, its affiliates and each of its and its affiliates' employees, contractors, directors, suppliers and representatives from all losses, costs, actions, claims, damages, expenses (including reasonable legal costs) or liabilities, that arise from or relate to your use or misuse of, or access to, the Site, Service, Content or otherwise from your User Submissions, violation of these Terms of Use, or infringement by you, or any third party using the your account, of any intellectual property or other right of any person or entity (save to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction holds that such claim arose due to an act or omission of TC Global). TC Global reserves the right to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you, in which event you will assist and cooperate with TC Global in asserting any available defenses.

Limitation of Liability

ALL LIABILITY OF TC GLOBAL, ITS AFFILIATES, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES, PARTNERS, SUPPLIERS OR CONTENT PROVIDERS HOWSOEVER ARISING FOR ANY LOSS SUFFERED AS A RESULT OF YOUR USE OF THE SITE, SERVICE, CONTENT OR USER SUBMISSIONS IS EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SAVE THAT, IF A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION DETERMINES THAT LIABILITY OF TC GLOBAL, ITS DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES, PARTNERS, SUPPLIERS OR CONTENT PROVIDERS (AS APPLICABLE) HAS ARISEN, THE TOTAL OF SUCH LIABILITY SHALL BE LIMITED IN AGGREGATE TO THE VALUE OF TC GLOBAL'S SERVICES AVAILED BY THE USER FOR 12 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE INITIATION OF A CLAIM.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL TC GLOBAL, NOR ITS DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES, PARTNERS, SUPPLIERS OR CONTENT PROVIDERS, BE LIABLE UNDER CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, NEGLIGENCE OR ANY OTHER LEGAL OR EQUITABLE THEORY OR OTHERWISE (AND WHETHER OR NOT TC GLOBAL, ITS DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES, PARTNERS, SUPPLIERS OR CONTENT PROVIDERS HAD PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES GIVING RISE TO SUCH LOSS OR DAMAGE) WITH RESPECT TO THE SITE, SERVICE, CONTENT OR USER SUBMISSIONS FOR:

• INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL LOSSES OR DAMAGES;
• LOSS OF ACTUAL OR ANTICIPATED PROFITS;
• LOSS OF REVENUE;
• LOSS OF GOODWILL;
• LOSS OF DATA;
• LOSS OF ANTICIPATED SAVINGS;
• WASTED EXPENDITURE; OR
• COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUE GOODS OR SERVICES.

NOTHING IN THESE TERMS OF USE SHALL BE DEEMED TO EXCLUDE OR LIMIT YOUR LIABILITY IN RESPECT OF ANY INDEMNITY GIVEN BY YOU UNDER THESE TERMS OF USE. APPLICABLE LAW MAY NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY OR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IN SUCH CASES, TC GLOBAL'S LIABILITY WILL BE LIMITED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

Governing Law

A printed version of these Terms of Use and of any notice given in electronic form shall be admissible in judicial or administrative proceedings based upon or relating to these Terms of Use to the same extent and subject to the same conditions as other business documents and records originally generated and maintained in printed form. You and TC Global agree that any cause of action arising out of or related to the Service must commence within one (1) year after the cause of action arose; otherwise, such cause of action is permanently barred.

Terms of Use and all other policies available on this Service shall be interpreted and construed in accordance with the laws of India. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms of Use and/ or other policies available on this App, including any question regarding its existence, validity or termination, shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration administered by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre ("SIAC") in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre ("SIAC Rules") for the time being in force, which rules are deemed to be incorporated by reference in this clause. The Tribunal shall consist of 3 arbitrators. The seat and venue of Arbitration shall be Singapore and the language of proceedings shall be English. Subject to the foregoing, the Courts of Singapore shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any disputes relating to the subject matter, herein.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a dispute arises with respect to the validity, scope, enforceability, inventorship, ownership, infringement, breach or unauthorised use of any patent, trademark, copyright or other intellectual property right or any non-proprietary data owned and/or controlled by TC Global, whether or not arising from the Terms of Use, such dispute (at the option of TC Global) shall not be submitted to arbitration and instead, TC Global shall be free to initiate litigation, including but not limited to a claim for interim injunctive relief, in a court of competent jurisdiction, in any country or other jurisdiction in which such rights apply.

Integration and Severability

These Terms of Use are the entire agreement between you and TC Global with respect to the Service and use of the Site, Service, Content or User Submissions, and supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications and proposals (whether oral, written or electronic) between you and TC Global with respect to the Site. If any provision of these Terms of Use is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that these Terms of Use will otherwise remain in full force and effect and enforceable. The failure of either party to exercise in any respect any right provided for herein shall not be deemed a waiver of any further rights hereunder. Waiver of compliance in any particular instance does not mean that we will waive compliance in the future. In order for any waiver of compliance with these Terms of Use to be binding, TC Global must provide you with written notice of such waiver through one of its authorized representatives.

Modification of Terms of Use

TC Global reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify or replace any of these Terms of Use, or change, suspend, or discontinue the Service (including without limitation, the availability of any feature, database, or content) at any time by posting a notice on the Site or by sending you notice through the Service or via email. TC Global may also impose limits on certain features and services or restrict your access to parts or all of the Service without notice or liability. It is your responsibility to check these Terms of Use periodically for changes. Your continued use of the Service following the posting of any changes to these Terms of Use constitutes acceptance of those changes. You shall also be notified of any modifications to these Terms of Use as and when effected or at least once a year.

Other Provisions

Claims of Copyright or Trademark Infringement

Claims of copyright or trademark infringement should be sent to TC Global's designated agent. If you believe that someone is infringing your copyright or trademark rights on the Site, you can report it to us by contacting our designated agent at [email protected] with a report containing the following information:

• your complete contact information (name, mailing address and phone number),
• a detailed description of the Content that you claim infringes your copyright or trademark along with details on how it infringes upon your copyright or trademark,
• the web address (URL) of the infringing content,
• a declaration that you are filing this report in good faith and that all the information provided is accurate and that you are the owner of the copyright and/or trademark in question.

Please attach your digital signature or physical signature to the report.

Within 36 hours of receiving this notice with the above mentioned details, we will take down the allegedly infringing material from public view while we assess the issues identified in your notice.

On completion of the take-down procedure above:

• If the complainant is successful in obtaining an order of injunction from a court of competent jurisdiction within 21 days from filing the complaint, the material will be permanently removed from TC Global's Site and database upon TC Global being provided with a copy of such order;
• If the complainant is not successful in obtaining an order of injunction from a court of competent jurisdiction within 21 days from receiving notice from the complainant, the material will be made available for public view once again.

Before you submit a report of infringement, you may want to send a message to the person who posted the Content. You may be able to resolve the issue without contacting TC Global. Please remember, only the copyright/trademark owner or their authorized representative may file a report of infringement. If you believe something on the Site infringes someone else's copyright/trademark, you may want to let the rights owner know.

TC Global may give notice by means of a general notice on the Site / Service, notification within the mobile application on your account, electronic mail to your email address in your account, or by written communication sent to your address as set forth in your account. You may give notice to TC Global by written communication to TC Global's email address at [email protected] or physical address at No. 3, Shenton Way, #10-05/06, Shenton House, Singapore, 068805 .

You may not assign or transfer these Terms of Use in whole or in part without TC Global's prior written approval. You hereby give your approval to TC Global for it to assign or transfer these Terms in whole or in part, including to: (i) a subsidiary or affiliate; (ii) an acquirer of TC Global's equity, business or assets; or (iii) a successor by merger. No joint venture, partnership, employment or agency relationship exists between you, TC Global or any Third Party Provider as a result of the contract between you and TC Global or use of the Services.

If any provision of these Terms is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, under any law, such provision or part thereof shall to that extent be deemed not to form part of these Terms but the legality, validity and enforceability of the other provisions in these Terms shall not be affected. In that event, the parties shall replace the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or part thereof with a provision or part thereof that is legal, valid and enforceable and that has, to the greatest extent possible, a similar effect as the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or part thereof, given the contents and purpose of these Terms. These Terms constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the parties with respect to its subject matter and replaces and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous agreements or undertakings regarding such subject matter. In these Terms, the words "including" and "include" mean "including, but not limited to."

Miscellaneous

TC Global shall not be liable for any failure to perform its obligations hereunder where such failure results from any cause beyond TC Global's reasonable control, including, without limitation, mechanical, electronic or communications failure or degradation (including "line-noise" interference). These Terms of Use are personal to you, and are not assignable, transferable or sublicensable by you except with TC Global's prior written consent. TC Global may assign, transfer or delegate any of its rights and obligations hereunder without consent. No agency, partnership, joint venture, or employment relationship is created as a result of these Terms of Use and neither party has any authority of any kind to bind the other in any respect.

Unless otherwise specified in these Term of Use, all notices under these Terms of Use will be in writing and will be deemed to have been duly given when received, if personally delivered or sent by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested; when receipt is electronically confirmed, if transmitted by facsimile or e-mail; or the day after it is sent, if sent for next day delivery by recognized overnight delivery service.

You may contact us at the following address:

The Chopras Global Holdings PTE Ltd No. 3, Shenton Way, #10-05/06, Shenton House, Singapore, 068805 Our grievance / nodal officer may be contacted at: Zishan Siddiqui Grievance Officer The Chopras Global Holdings PTE Ltd No. 3 Shenton Way #10-05/06, Shenton House Singapore, 068805 Email: [email protected]

• Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy | September 6, 2021

• The Chopras Global Holdings PTE Ltd. is an entity registered in Singapore. We are engaged in the business of providing a global education, learning, and investment services Site which caters to students, professionals, universities, corporates and governments. We are committed to ensuring that privacy of our clients, visitors, and other users of the website https://tcglobal.com , its subdomains, the web applications and mobile applications (" Site ") is always respected. This Privacy Policy (" Policy ") is to serve as a testament to our sincere efforts to uphold privacy laws. In this Policy, " TC Global ", " we ", or " us " refers to The Chopras Global Holdings PTE Ltd. and its affiliates and " you " refers to a user who has provided any information including Personal Information ( as defined below ) and using any features therein.
• The protection and security of your Personal Information and Usage Information ( as defined below ) is one of our top priorities. This Privacy Policy discloses and explains how we collect, use, share and protect Personal Information, Usage Information or any other information about you. We also provide information regarding how you can access and update your Personal Information and make certain choices about how your Personal Information is used by us. This Privacy Policy does not apply to information we collect by other means (including offline) or from other sources.
• This Privacy Policy explains what information of yours will be collected by TC Global when you access the Site, how the information will be used, and how you can control the collection, correction and/or deletion of information. We will not use or share your information with anyone except as described in this Privacy Policy. The use of information collected through our Site shall be limited to the purposes under this Privacy Policy.

TC Global controls, collects, owns and directs the use of the Personal Information and Usage Information on its Site and TC Global is the data controller and data processor as regards the Personal Information and Usage Information collected on its Site. For any queries regarding this Privacy Policy and the collection and use of data collected or processed under this Privacy Policy, TC Global can be contacted by mail at The Chopras Global Holdings PTE Ltd, No. 3, Shenton Way, #10-05/06, Shenton House, Singapore 068805 ; by phone at +65 9825 6174 or by e-mail at [email protected] .

The legal basis for collection and processing of any information collected and processed by TC Global including the Personal Information is (i) your consent at the time of providing the Personal Information; (ii) where it is in our legitimate interests to do so and not overridden by your rights (for example, in some cases for direct marketing, fraud prevention, network and information systems security, responding to your communications, the operation of networks of groups by the network administrators, and improving our Site). In some cases, we may also have a legal obligation to collect information about you or may otherwise need the information to protect your vital interests or those of another person. We may also process information to comply with a legal requirement or to perform a contract.

TC Global may ask you to provide certain categories of information such as personal information, which is information that coold reasonably be used to identify you personally, such as your name, gender, family details, address, e-mail address, nationality, details of your passport and other government ID, financial information, academic record / education history, date of birth, mobile number, travel history and medical records (" Personal Information "), when you access the Site, in order to provide you with the services requested. Additionally, we may collect this information through various forms and in various places through the Site, including when you first register with us, when you create a transaction, when you contact us, when you update your information or from time to time or when you otherwise interact with us. TC Global may include registration, surveys, and other online forums where users will need to provide Personal Information.

First party cookies are the cookies served by the owner of the domain. In our case, that's TC Global. Any cookie we place ourselves is a "first-party cookie."

Third-party cookies are cookies placed on our domains by trusted partners that we've allowed to do so. These can be social media partners, advertising partners, security providers, and more. And they can be either "session cookies" or "permanent cookies":

Session cookies only exist until you close your browser, ending what's called your "session." Then they're deleted.

Permanent cookies have a range of lifespans and stay on your device after the browser is closed. On the Site, we try to only serve permanent cookies (or allow permanent cookies to be served by third parties) that have a limited lifespan. However, for security reasons or in other exceptional circumstances, sometimes we may need to give a cookie a longer lifespan.

Web browser cookies may store info such as your IP address or other identifiers, your browser type, and info about the content you view and interact with on digital services. By storing this info, web browser cookies can remember your preferences and settings for online services and analyze how you use them.

Along with cookies, we also use tracking technologies that are very similar. Our Site may contain small transparent image files or lines of code that record how you interact with them. These include "web beacons," "scripts," "tracking URLs," or "software development kits" (known as SDKs):

Web beacons have a lot of different names. They might also be known as web bugs, tracking bugs, tags, web tags, page tags, tracking pixels, pixel tags, 1x1 GIFs, or clear GIFs. In short, these beacons are a tiny graphic image of just one pixel that can be delivered to your device as part of a web page request, in an app, an advertisement, or an HTML email message. They can be used to retrieve info from your device, such as your device type, operating system, IP address, and the time of your visit. They are also used to serve and read cookies in your browser or to trigger the placement of a cookie.

Scripts are small computer programs embedded within our web pages that give those pages a wide variety of extra functionality. Scripts make it possible for the website to function properly. For example, scripts power certain security features and enable basic interactive features on our website. Scripts can also be used for analytical or advertising purposes. For example, a script can collect info about how you use our website, such as which pages you visit or what you search for.

Tracking URLs are links with a unique identifier in them. These are used to track which website brought you to the Site. An example woold be if you clicked from a social media page, search engine, or one of our affiliate partners' websites.

Software Development Kits (SDKs) are part of our apps' source code. Unlike browser cookies, SDK data is stored in the app storage. They're used to analyze how the apps are being used or to send personalized push notifications. To do this, they record unique identifiers associated with your device, like your device ID, IP address, in-app activity, and network location.

All these tracking technologies are referred to as "cookies" here in this Cookie Statement. However, no Personal Information identifying the user is collected nor any data capture mechanisms are employed. The user may change browser settings to accept or reject cookies on personal preference. You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify the browser setting to decline cookies if you so prefer. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to sign in or use other interactive features of the Site that may depend on cookies. If you choose to accept cookies, you also have the ability to later delete cookies that you have accepted. If you choose to delete cookies, any settings and preferences controlled by those cookies, including advertising preferences, will be deleted and may need to be recreated. We process and keep all data for our own use and, if you wish to opt-out from tracking by TC Global you can do so at [email protected]

• Information Collected Automatically : In addition to any Personal Information or other information that you choose to submit to us, we may use a variety of technologies that automatically (or passively) collect certain information whenever you access the Site (" Usage Information "). This Usage Information may include the browser that you are using, the URL that referred you to our Site, mobile device model (manufacturer), OS type (IOS/android), OS version, network carrier, IP address, mobile screen size, time zone of the user, browser details, among other information. Usage Information may be non-identifying or may be associated with you. Whenever we associate Usage Information with your Personal Information, we will treat it as Personal Information and the conditions relating to Personal Information under this Privacy Policy will be followed. Traffic data, while anonymous, is gathered and analysed for business needs.
• Information Third Parties Provide About You: We may, from time to time, supplement the information we collect about you through our Site with outside records from third parties obtained rightfolly in order to enhance our ability to serve you, to tailor our content to you and to offer you opportunities to use such of our Services that we believe may be of interest to you. We may combine the information we receive from such third party sources with information we collect through the Site or through independent research conducted by TC Global, with your consent. In these cases, we will apply this Privacy Policy to any Personal Information received, unless otherwise provided. We may process such information received from third parties for legitimate commercial purposes or to enter into contractual obligations with you or to folfil certain contractual obligations or where you have requested third parties to provide information about yourself to us.

TC Global may also process any Personal Information or Usage Information collected from you for legitimate commercial purposes including to provide you with the requisite information requested. A list of uses of the Personal Information and Usage Information collected is provided at Section 3 of this Policy ( Use of Information Collected ). TC Global implements appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk of our processing of information about individuals such as (i) only sharing and providing access to your information to the minimum extent necessary, subject to confidentiality restrictions where appropriate, and on an anonymised basis wherever possible; (ii) using secure servers to store your information; (iii) verifying the identity of any individual who requests access to information prior to granting them access to information; and (iv) using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software or other similar encryption technologies to encrypt any payment transactions you make on or via our Site.

Any user who has submitted Personal Information on the Site has the right to (i)  access, correct, delete such Personal Information subject to us successfolly verifying your identity; (ii) object to us processing your Personal Information on legitimate grounds; (iii) to withdraw your consent to our use of your information at any time where we rely on your consent to use or process that information; (iv) opting out of receiving any promotional or marketing material by clicking on the "Unsubscribe" button or by sending an email to [ [email protected] ]. Please note that if you withdraw your consent, this will not affect the lawfolness of our use and processing of your information on the basis of your consent before the point in time when you withdraw your consent; (v) right to have the Personal Information transferred to another data controller; and (vi) lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particolar in the jurisdiction of your habitual residence, place of work or of an alleged infringement of any applicable data protection laws. Any request received by us by the user in relation to the aforesaid shall be acknowledged by us within seventy-two (72) business hours.

TC Global does not share any Personal Information with any third party without your consent, except when directed by the law. TC Global can use this data to verify user identity in line with engagement initiated by the user. We will communicate with you using the contact information provided by you in order to respond to any queries that you may have and to provide any information that you may request regarding the services provided through the Site. We may communicate with you either by written, physical communication, email, telephone, SMS or via notifications on your mobile device. We may also send strictly service-related announcements to you periodically and when it is necessary to do so. For instance, if our services are temporarily suspended for maintenance, we might send you an email, text message, flash notification or telephone call. If you do not wish to receive such alerts, you have the option to unsubscribe from such emails or opt out by sending an email to [email protected] .

We may use Personal Information or Usage Information collected through the Site in the following ways:

• to operate and improve our Site and tools associated with the Site;
• to create aggregated and anonymized information to determine which Site features are most popolar and usefol to users, and for other statistical analyses;
• to prevent, discover and investigate violations of this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Use of the Site, and to investigate fraud or other matters;
• To customize the content or the services on the Site for you, or the communications sent to you through the Site.
• To help provide you the services accessible through the Site, which may include liaising and providing information to visa/customs/immigration offices of various countries and admissions offices of universities situated across the globe;
• To observe, improve and administer the quality of services on the Site;
• To analyze how the Site is used, diagnose technical problems;
• Remember the basic information provided by you for effective access;
• To confirm your identity in order to determine your eligibility to use the Site and avail our services;
• To notify you about any changes to the Site;
• To enable TC Global to comply with its legal and regolatory obligations;
• For the purpose of sending administrative notices, service-related alerts and other similar communication with a view to optimizing the efficiency of the Site;
• Doing market research, troubleshooting, protection against error, project planning, fraud and other criminal activity; and
• To enforce TC Global's Terms of Use.
• Using your contact info to send you regolar news about relevant products and services. You can unsubscribe from email marketing communications quickly, easily, and anytime. All you need to do is click the "Unsubscribe" link included in each newsletter or other communication.
• Based on your info, individualized offers might be shown to you on the Site, on mobile apps, or on third-party websites/apps (including social media sites), and the content of the site displayed to you might be personalized. These coold be offers that you can book directly on the Site, on co-branded sites, or other third-party offers or products we think you might find interesting.
• When you participate in other promotional activities (e.g. sweepstakes, referral programs, or competitions), relevant info will be used to administer these promotions.

We may share non-Personal Information, such as aggregated user statistics and log data, with our business partners for industry analysis, demographic profiling, to deliver targeted advertising about other products or services, or for other business purposes. This information is solely used to analyze company Site and understand usage statistics, as mentioned above, is anonymous. The company may share this data with its business partners on anonymous basis.  We do not sell, share, rent or trade the information we have collected about you, including Personal Information, other than as disclosed within this Privacy Policy or at the time you provide your information. We do not share your Personal Information with third parties for those third parties' direct marketing purposes unless you consent to such sharing at the time you provide your Personal Information.

We cooperate with government and law enforcement officials and private parties to enforce and comply with the law. Thus, we may access, use, store, transfer and disclose your information (including Personal Information), including disclosure to third parties such as government or law enforcement officials or private parties as we reasonably determine is necessary and appropriate: (i) to satisfy any applicable law, regolation, governmental requests or legal process; (ii) to protect the safety, rights, property or security of TC Global, our services, the Site or any third party; (iii) to protect the safety of the public for any reason; (iv) to detect, prevent or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues; and /or (v) to prevent or stop any activity we consider to be, or to pose a risk of being, an illegal, unethical, or legally actionable activity. Such disclosures may be carried out without notice to you.

We may share your information, including your Personal Information and Usage Information with our parent, subsidiaries and affiliates for internal reasons. We also reserve the right to disclose and transfer all such information: (i) to a subsequent owner, co-owner or operator of the Site or applicable database; or (ii) in connection with a corporate merger, consolidation, restructuring, the sale of substantially all of our membership interests and/or assets or other corporate change, including, during the course of any due diligence process. You will be notified via email and/or a prominent notice on our Site of any change in ownership or uses of your personal information, as well as any choices you may have regarding your personal information. We will endeavor that the transferee who is the recipient of Personal Information and Usage Information commits to privacy measures which are substantially similar to the measures under this privacy policy.

We do not include or offer third party products or services on our Site.

Your information may be stored and processed in Singapore or any other country in which TC Global or its subsidiaries, affiliates or service providers maintain facilities. TC Global may transfer information that we collect about you, including Personal Information, to affiliated entities, or to other third parties across borders and from your country or jurisdiction to other countries or jurisdictions around the world. These countries may have data protection laws that are different to the laws of your country and, in some cases, may not be as protective. We have taken appropriate safeguards to require that your information will remain protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy by entering into requisite agreements with the concerned transferees. 

Your information will be retained with TC Global as long as it is needed by TC Global to provide services to you. If you wish to cancel your account or request that TC Global no longer uses your information to provide services, you may contact TC Global at [email protected].. TC Global will promptly delete the information as requested. TC Global will retain and use your information as necessary to comply with its legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce its agreements or for other business purposes. When TC Global has no ongoing legitimate business need to process your information, we will either delete or anonymize it.

In case on any queries on this privacy policy, please contact us at  [email protected] . TC Global reserves the right to update or modify any part of this policy or make any changes without prior notice to the user. The user is advised to check this page periodically to stay abreast of any policy changes by us.

You are responsible for maintaining the accuracy of the information you submit to us, such as your contact information provided as part of account registration. If your Personal Information changes, or if you no longer desire to access the Site, you may correct, delete inaccuracies, or amend information by contacting us through  [email protected] and we will respond within 72 hours of receipt of communication. You have the right to request that we rectify or delete the personal data or restrict the processing of your personal data, if you think they are inaccurate. Furthermore, you have the right to object against the processing based on our legitimate interests as a legal basis. We are required to assess and act on your request. Additionally, you also have the right to data portability if it shoold become relevant. You have a right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. [You may also cancel or modify your communications that you have elected to receive from the Site by logging into your user account and changing your communication preferences. If you wish to cancel your account or request that we no longer use your information to provide you details with respect to our services and the Site, please write to us at [email protected] .

If you wish to opt out of receiving non-essential communications such as promotional and marketing-related information regarding the Site and our services, please send TC Global an email at [email protected] .

From time to time, we may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to our information practices. Any changes will be effective immediately upon the posting of the revised Privacy Policy on the Site. If we make any material changes, we will notify you by email (sent to the e-mail address specified in your account) or by means of a notice on the Site prior to the change becoming effective. We encourage you to periodically review this page for the latest information on our privacy practices.

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please feel free to contact us by writing to us at [email protected] or using the details provided on our 'Contact Us' page. We will use reasonable efforts to respond promptly to requests, questions or concerns you may have regarding our use of personal information about you. Except where required by law, TC Global cannot ensure a response to questions or comments regarding topics unrelated to this policy or Company's privacy practices.

By consenting to the terms under this Privacy Policy, you are expressly granting TC Global the right to collect, share, transfer, store, retain, disseminate or use the Personal Information/Usage Information collected by TC Global from your usage of the Site in accordance with the terms of the Privacy Policy. You may, at any time, withdraw consent for the collection or processing of Personal Information/Usage Information by sending an email to [email protected] . TC Global, shall within 72 hours delete or anonymize the data collected from you.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us: By email: [email protected]

In the event of any grievances, user can contact the grievance officer at [email protected] or write to us at the following address: Zishan Siddiqui Grievance Officer The Chopras Global Holdings PTE Ltd No. 3 Shenton Way #10-05/06, Shenton House Singapore, 068805

Choose Insight topics that interest you to subscribe

First things first, confirmation.

Hey it looks like you've already got an account with us. Sign into your Portal to e-meet with us!

Find Experience Centre near you

• Chennai - On Demand
• Coimbatore - On Demand
• Dehradun - On Demand
• Gurgaon - On Demand
• Lucknow - On Demand
• Ludhiana - On Demand
• Mangalore - On Demand
• Nehru Place, Delhi
• North Delhi
• Vijayawada - On Demand
• Nepal - On Demand

It's the closest venue based on your location. Feel free to change it!

Choose any one service.

Global Ed Placement

Country, Course, Univeristy search and selection

Application management

Visa management

Essay / Personal Statement recommendations

We're now directing you to our scheduling service to pick an e-meet slot. We look forward to starting our journey together!

an Investor

Leadership Engagement

Staff Training

Student Engagement

Careers Guidance for Students

English Language Preparation

Test Preparation

TC Global-NCUK Pathways

Psychometrics.

EB-5 Investment Program

Preferred Equity

Real Estate

Other Investment Program

TC Global Managed Desk

On Demand Shared Space

Private Space

Services Ecosystem

Personal Details

Date & Time

We will contact you shortly and together we will focus on your journey.

Essay on Technical Education

Students are often asked to write an essay on Technical Education in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Technical Education

Introduction.

Technical Education is a branch of learning that provides practical knowledge and skills for specific occupations or technologies.

Technical education plays a vital role in the modern age. It helps students gain specialized knowledge and become self-reliant.

Technical education offers practical skills, leading to direct employment. It also promotes innovation and entrepreneurship.

In conclusion, technical education is essential in today’s world. It provides the necessary skills to meet the demands of the evolving job market.

250 Words Essay on Technical Education

Technical education refers to the practical application of scientific knowledge and principles. It is a branch of learning that focuses on imparting skills related to specific trades, professions, or occupations. Unlike traditional forms of education that primarily emphasize theoretical knowledge, technical education is more about practical skills and hands-on learning.

Importance of Technical Education

In today’s rapidly evolving world, technical education holds enormous significance. It is instrumental in fostering the development of a skilled workforce that can meet the demands of various industries. It equips individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to perform specific tasks, making them more employable and productive.

Benefits of Technical Education

Technical education offers numerous benefits. It provides a direct link between education and the workplace, ensuring that students are job-ready upon graduation. It also promotes innovation and creativity, as students are trained to solve real-world problems using technical skills. Furthermore, it contributes to economic growth by filling the skills gap in various sectors.

Challenges and Solutions

Despite its importance, technical education faces several challenges. These include a lack of awareness, inadequate infrastructure, and outdated curricula. To overcome these challenges, it is crucial to raise awareness about the value of technical education, invest in infrastructure, and update curricula to keep pace with industry trends.

In conclusion, technical education plays a pivotal role in today’s knowledge-driven economy. By equipping individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge, it ensures a competent workforce that can drive economic growth and development. However, for it to reach its full potential, concerted efforts are needed to address existing challenges.

500 Words Essay on Technical Education

Technical education is a branch of vocational education that focuses on practical applications of various concepts. It is a systematic, organized and institutionalized segment of education that equips individuals with practical and professional skills in various sectors of a country’s economy.

The Importance of Technical Education

In the rapidly transforming global landscape, technical education is gaining prominence. It bridges the gap between traditional academic education and the required skill sets in the professional world. It offers hands-on experience and direct job-specific skills, making individuals ready for the job market.

Technical education is vital for national development. It fosters innovation, enhances productivity, and promotes entrepreneurship. It also addresses the skills mismatch in the labor market, reducing unemployment and underemployment rates.

The Current State of Technical Education

Despite its significance, technical education often remains under-prioritized in many countries. Traditional academic education is still considered the primary route to success, leading to an imbalance in the workforce. However, the increasing demand for skilled professionals is gradually altering this perception.

In developed countries, technical education is highly advanced and well integrated into the education system. It is seen as a viable alternative to conventional academic pathways. On the other hand, developing countries still face challenges in implementing effective technical education due to a lack of resources, infrastructure, and trained professionals.

Challenges and Opportunities

The main challenges in technical education include the stigma associated with vocational training, lack of awareness, inadequate infrastructure, outdated curriculum, and the rapid pace of technological change. There is a need for a paradigm shift in societal attitudes towards technical education and a significant investment in infrastructure and curriculum development.

However, there are immense opportunities as well. The advent of Industry 4.0, characterized by automation, data exchange, and the Internet of Things (IoT), is creating a demand for new skill sets. Technical education can play a pivotal role in preparing the workforce for this digital revolution.

In conclusion, technical education is a crucial component of a comprehensive education system. It is instrumental in driving economic growth, fostering innovation, and reducing unemployment. It is high time that policymakers, educators, and society at large recognize the value of technical education and invest in its development. As we move towards a more technologically advanced future, the role of technical education will only become more significant.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Privatisation of Education
• Essay on Power of Education
• Essay on Online Education

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

An Introduction to Technical Theatre

(11 reviews)

Tal Sanders, Pacific University

Copyright Year: 2018

ISBN 13: 9781945398872

Publisher: Pacific University Press

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Megan Euler, Theatre Production Manager, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 9/19/23

This is a basic overview of technical theatre with a strong glossary of terms. The text may not be a strong choice for college level theatre degree seeking students, but is a strong entry level survey book for non- theatre majors or high school... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This is a basic overview of technical theatre with a strong glossary of terms. The text may not be a strong choice for college level theatre degree seeking students, but is a strong entry level survey book for non- theatre majors or high school students.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The content is accurate with very few errors.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

There relevance in certain areas is aging a bit. There have been some changes since 2018 in the areas of Lighting, Intimacy Coordination, Standards and Video/Production and Stage Management. There are also resources available in a few of the modules. The book also lacks real production situations.

Clarity rating: 5

The book is clear and very approachable.

Consistency rating: 5

The book is consistent in the presentation of modules.

Modularity rating: 5

The book is broken down into individual modules which are short and concise with consistent flow.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The organization, structure and flow make sense and are easy to follow.

Interface rating: 4

The interface has too many blank pages that disrupt the flow of the book.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There are only a few simple typos.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

There are no cultural reference or concerns in this book.

I appreciate the "consider this" and "further exploration" sections in the book as they provide resources and considerations for the readers to further their knowledge base in these areas.

Reviewed by Adam Whittredge, Scenic Designer, Wabash College on 12/20/21

A good text for a basic level survey course in technical theatre. Briefly touches on all aspects of technical theatre, including roles, design, constructions, production process, etc. Good glossary in the back for all the bolded words throughout... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

A good text for a basic level survey course in technical theatre. Briefly touches on all aspects of technical theatre, including roles, design, constructions, production process, etc. Good glossary in the back for all the bolded words throughout the text. No index within the book but modules can be found on the book's site.

Only not getting a 5 because I felt some things could have been elaborated more, but I understand why because of the nature and purpose of the text.

The book is up to date and mostly gives generalizations so that it might be considered "timeless" in the industry. As an introductory text, by design, it doesn't delve too deeply into any one specific area where modern industry specifications that might easy change and shift would be added.

Very clear, easy read, and easy to follow and understand. Good for lower level beginner students in theatre.

No issues with consistency, he writes from his experience and he has a thorough background, and write with an excellent purpose.

Each module is clear, and relevant. None are overly long vs shorter vague sections. Works nicely to have 15 modules in a 16week semester course.

Depending on the nature of your course, you may use the modules out of the published order. For example, I'd go through the tools chapter early on so that my students, who work in the shop as a requirement of the class, learn those basics at the start of the semester. This way we aren't teaching them in the shop then repeating the lesson when I get to that module in class. That being said I do think the organization makes sense for a beginning level book.

Interface rating: 5

Images are neat within the text itself and available for download separately which makes them nice for handouts and to use in presentations.

No major errors were found.

Nothing to note.

This is a good book for an introduction course. I previously taught high school level theatre students and this would have been a perfect text for my technical theatre class. I teach undergraduate students now plan to adopt it for my intro to stagecraft course, but specifically for the section with non theatre majors. I think if students were involved in theatre in high school most of this, I HOPE, would be repetitive. Definitely a great start, and a lot of the texts referenced for a "further exploration" at the end of each module could be used for upper level students.

Reviewed by Taurie Kinoshita, Theatre Lecturer, Windward Community College on 5/12/21

This book is appropriate for beginners and gives a broad, yet accurate, introduction to most elements of technical theatre. The section on production etiquette is especially crucial and valuable for beginners. Highlighting safety is also... read more

This book is appropriate for beginners and gives a broad, yet accurate, introduction to most elements of technical theatre. The section on production etiquette is especially crucial and valuable for beginners. Highlighting safety is also incredibly important. Overall, quite comprehensive and a very solid introduction.

Content-wise this introductory book is mostly error-free. The author manages to define and introduce key concepts with precision. Though it may need read as unbiased to the novice, the author does delineate behavior and concepts in a highly objective manner.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

Immersive theatre, post-dramatic theatre, environmental theatre and post-modern theatre praxis often use unusual or site-specific spaces, projections, video, or film. Since these more new styles of theatre are quickly proliferating, the elements addressed in the book may not remain as relevant for too long.

This text is extremely clear, accessible and provides adequate context for all terminology used.

The text is highly consistent in terms of terminology and framework; recurring phrases or definitions are used with precise regularity.

The text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections, making it supremely useful for class reading assignments. The text is not self-referential and can be reorganized or realigned with various subunits of a course.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The topics in the text are presented in a logical and clear fashion. (Though I would suggest beginning and ending with etiquette and safety since those concepts are so crucial for success.)

The text is mostly free of interface issues--I did have some issues navigating, though that might have been because of my laptop systems....

I did not notice any grammatical errors; the text was well-written and overall error-free.

There are no cultural insensitivities and this book is not offensive in any way.

Overall, an excellent, solid introduction to technical theatre which can easily align with course work and make important terminology and concepts clear to the beginning technical theatre student.

Reviewed by Caleb Stroman, Assistant Professor of Theatre, Susquehanna University on 3/19/20

This book provides a very brief overview of technical theatre. The glossary is quite good, though the text could have benefited from internal links as the words are not defined within the text, just within the glossary. While a good survey, this... read more

This book provides a very brief overview of technical theatre. The glossary is quite good, though the text could have benefited from internal links as the words are not defined within the text, just within the glossary. While a good survey, this is not a text that I would use for a course for students focusing on technical theatre and design, but would be better suited to other students in theatre and non-theatre students. There is no index within the text, only on the webpage. The "For Further Explanation" sections at the end of each module provide other textbooks, most of which I already use or reference, and weblinks that are nice to have. These could easily be further expanded upon as there is ample blank space in the text.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The book is mostly error free. There were a few minor things that I found to be incorrect and made note of them in my own copy, but for the most part, the text is accurate.

The text is fairly up-to-date. A few things could be added, such as a mention of an intimacy coordinator in the list of roles in the theatre. Lighting technology module already needs some updating.

Clarity rating: 4

The text is quite easy to read. I think it would be useful to have more definitions within the text instead of in a glossary, but this isn't a problem for anyone already familiar with the terms. There are a few structural personnel relationships that should be further clarified.

Consistency rating: 4

The text is fairly consistent. I think that it does sometimes go off on a tangent, like explaining how to hang a lighting fixture during the lighting design module when it hasn't given any technical explanations in other design modules and the module that follows is about lighting equipment.

Modules are quite short and self-contained. Easy to rearrange and prior modules are not necessary to comprehend subsequent modules. The actual technical modules could easily be expanded upon.

Some of the modules could have been combined into a single, slightly longer module, while others should have been broken apart, especially the scenic painting and color theory module. There are sections within several modules that do not directly fit and seem to have been included in a more stream of conscious manner or after thought.

Interface rating: 3

It would have been nice to have an index with clickable links as well a way to link to definitions within the text. Too many blank filler pages.

A few mistakes, but mostly just simple typos.

This book doesn't delve into anything cultural.

Overall a decent book. I may include some of the modules in my courses as a way to get students with little technical/design experience caught up or as a refresher, but in no way would I rely on this text to be a primary textbook for any college level technical or design course.

Reviewed by Ken Parks, Associate Professor, Randolph College on 12/20/19

The book covers a broad survey of topics, stepping beyond the scope of its title. As a result the subject is not covered as thoroughly as it should be for a college-level text. It reads as a survey rather than a practical manual. The student is... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

The book covers a broad survey of topics, stepping beyond the scope of its title. As a result the subject is not covered as thoroughly as it should be for a college-level text. It reads as a survey rather than a practical manual. The student is expected to learn how things are done rather than how to do them, that theatre happens rather than how to make it happen.

Content Accuracy rating: 3

The author writes with the insight of practical experience, giving us the perspective of a working professional. That is a real strength. In some cases familiarity has gotten in the way of accuracy. There are statements that are misleading and others that confuse in their brevity.

The text is relevant in the broader strokes, and most relevant in its survey of theatre practice. The technical areas are rendered in broad strokes without detail that will require update, with exception of the Lighting Equipment module, which is already out of date, particularly as it relates to emerging LED technology.

In most instances the jargon is defined in context, which makes it more jarring in the several instances where terms are introduced without context. When those terms are then explained further down the page it seems out of order. In like manner, a concept or information is sometimes referred to as common knowledge before it has been introduced as specialty information.

Consistency rating: 3

There is a distinct shift in writing style about halfway through, where the desire to be comprehensive seems to collide with the need to be brief. Technical areas are defined by lists with little of the depth of discussion that would be necessary to make the information practical for the reader.

Modularity rating: 3

A full third of the text is taken up by discussion that is ancillary to the focus of the book/course. Orientation and background perspective are important, but it works against modularity to have the specifically Technical Theatre topics in relatively few modules. It would help to expand or increase the technical theatre modules to include greater depth in those areas.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

Organization is more successful in the early modules and less developed later on. Discussion tends to run-on without a clear logical progression in some instances. Technical instruction could be expanded upon with clear sub-topic areas. Doing so would encourage a more logical organization. It would benefit from more illustrations in the technical sections.

It would be most helpful to have hyperlinks within the pdf so that glossary words could be defined without having to page to the end and then manually find your place again. Pop-up definitions would be nice, or hyperlink to the glossary entry and back to the place where the word was used. Barring that, or in addition to that, including a glossary at the end of each chapter would serve both to group the entries and make them more accessible.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

There is some very fine writing here, particularly in the early chapters. In fact, the first two pages include some of the most succinct and well expressed description of collaboration that I've run across. That eloquence begins to break down a bit around module 7, and there is increasing evidence of insufficient proofreading in the latter half of the book, including omitted words, incomplete sentences, awkward sentence structure, and extra verbs.

There is nothing in my reading that would be construed as culturally insensitive or offensive. There is an overarching assumption that theatre as a practice, and this information, is available to all.

The text is primarily a discussion of theatre practice in the U.S. and U.S. standards are mentioned in the materials section, but without going the next step to contrast with other standards. This is either a missed opportunity or an unnecessary call out.

The first several modules were an enjoyable read and I may well incorporate them, and one or two of the others, as readings in intro courses. If the technical modules were expanded with an eye toward practical application of the material this could be a viable text overall. As it is, it has insufficient depth as a Technical Theatre text to adopt for college level work.

Reviewed by Marty Aikens, Extraordinary Faculty / Technical Director, Loyola on 4/30/19

The spectrum of subject material covered here, across technical theatre and stagecraft, is wide and varied. However, the depth is rather shallow. With the understanding that this is an "entry-level", the book falls shy of presenting enough... read more

The spectrum of subject material covered here, across technical theatre and stagecraft, is wide and varied. However, the depth is rather shallow. With the understanding that this is an "entry-level", the book falls shy of presenting enough information for the uninitiated learner to gain perspective. This is further complicated by the overwhelming lack of visual references. The text contains little to no pictorial information or visual examples. Some modules contain a few simplistic diagrams or strangely created hand-drawn-scribbled-over illustrations, but provides no realistic pictures of materials, equipment, or techniques in a realistic theatrical setting. This is a problem... especially for an "entry-level" learner.

The instruction and description that is contained in the book is accurate, well-written, and easily read. It's brevity is unfortunate, as the author has a great approachable style in the presentation of what can be rather dry, technical information.

This is truly an "entry-level" text. Many of the current, even industry-standard techniques, equipment, and materials from the past 20 years of production have been ignored in exchange for a hobbyist view of "traditional" theatre methods and methodologies. This text book would be acceptable for a short, simple, introduction to Theatre class at a primary or secondary level school. However, should the institution wish to teach production techniques, in a real manner, that could lead to a realized production situation, this book is incomplete in it's explanation and training. The text is not suitable for "Performing Arts" schools, Magnet schools, Higher Ed learning, or classes interested in provide thorough and specific Theatre training.

Clarity rating: 3

Again, my reaction is that the written style of the text is highly approachable, not over-wrought with expectations of prior knowledge, and easily read. But the brevity of the description and the absence of visual aids leave a massive gap in it's clarity. This subject simply cannot be taught without specific and thorough context clues.

The text has solid consistency in its approach. But, must have more in-depth conversation of topics to be effective.

The modules and modality is great. The structuring of the topics in the order of introduction makes great sense and is a great gateway of introduction for the entry-level learner.

Interface rating: 1

The visual, textual layout of the text is uncomplicated and easy on the eyes. But the lack of visual representations could likely change that. This book needs visual references to what is an overwhelmingly visual art form. The visuals necessary to lend the specific context needed for learning are sparse, incomplete, overly simplistic to the point of being nondescript, distorted with penciled hashing, or just plain absent.

The text seems to be well written with grammatical accuracy.

The textbook is direct to the subject matter and poses no cultural worries or issues.

The author clearly has passion and knowledge for the subject and all its details. The material that presents itself in the book is valuable. The shortcomings of the book are its lack of depth. It is very difficult for a true entry-level learner to experience contextual learning when no specific context is offered, to experience a visual medium without the visuals to experience. The breadth of knowledge of technical theatre and stagecraft is massive, and consistently shifting and evolving. This book is clearly not designed to cover the intricacies and full spectrum of that subject matter. Unfortunately this text falls short of opening up even the basics to its audience. An Introduction To Technical Theatre is meant to open the door, but only does so a crack. With minimal, but meaningful, extension of discussion and the addition of visual examples, this book could be invaluable with this level of access.

Reviewed by Victoria Mathis-Sanders, Theater Manager/Acting Co-Chair, Performing Arts Department, Thomas Nelson Community College on 3/29/19

This book does a lovely job covering the basics of the main areas of theatrical expertise. I particularly liked the constant reminders of safety issues throughout the different areas, this seems to be an area too often overlooked. read more

This book does a lovely job covering the basics of the main areas of theatrical expertise. I particularly liked the constant reminders of safety issues throughout the different areas, this seems to be an area too often overlooked.

Everything is accurate to the best of my knowledge. (my knowledge including absolutely nothing about sound design)

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

I think there was a good balance of keeping it up to date without making the book too easily dated. I do wish that just a little more time had been spent on LED and intelligent lighting.

The glossary at the back will help the students tremendously, I do think some photo examples might be of use in addition to the included drawings.

The text is consistent throughout, there is even a section on how important it is to use the correct terminology when communicating!

The modular style will make it very easy to tie into lectures.

Well organized.

No interface issues, I would have liked to see some photos of past productions used in the examples. While all of the drawings were fantastic, when talking about the different types of sets (Single, Unit, Multi) example photos would go a long way to helping the students understand the concepts.

Well written and easy to understand.

I did not notice any incidences of cultural insensitivity.

Overall I think this is a good alternative to the usual $200 textbook most of us use for our Stagecraft classes. I'm going to try it out for my Fall class and see how it works in practice. While it seems a bit basic, for first-year students I think that may be a good thing.

Reviewed by Ethan Krupp, Associate Professor/Technical Director/Designer, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania on 3/13/19

This book has a great depth to the sections and areas covered. Just about everything I could think of worthy of having it's own section did. The only possible area that might warrant a bit more depth is video/projection design and usage in the... read more

This book has a great depth to the sections and areas covered. Just about everything I could think of worthy of having it's own section did. The only possible area that might warrant a bit more depth is video/projection design and usage in the theatre, but this is an area that is still actively evolving, so this lack of a dedicated section really should not detract from the text.

I didn't find anything that was inaccurate in the text. A super minor quibble is that the rear elevation drawing of the platform was presented vertically, which makes it look like a flat, not a platform, but this really is a personal preference....I would have presented it in plan view, with drafted hidden lines to show the internal framing or with the lid removed. Doing this would have allowed it to be oriented in a more traditional (at least for me) manner. It's clearly labeled as a platform, and defined, so my reaction to it is more of surprise than anything else.

The book makes nice use of references to sources for additional materials/readings, which makes it more relevant in my mind. It knows it can't cover every last detail for all the areas, but does a great job of pointing you in the proper location for more information. Technical theatre tends to evolve somewhat rapidly with technology changes, but this book is framed in a way that will allow it to stay relevant for quite some time.

Everything is very clear and well written. No issues on this front.

The book is very consistent and well laid out.

The book is highly modular. I greatly appreciate this aspect of the text.

Organization is logical, straight-forward and effective.

There are no interface or navigation issues detected.

No grammatical errors were noticed or detected.

There are no issues or cultural concerns with the text.

I am highly likely to add this book as an additional resource in several courses, and share it with faculty teaching in affiliated technical theatre areas.

Reviewed by Dan Stone, Theatre Faculty, Linn-Benton Community College on 3/11/19

For an online book, I found this text to be appropriate for beginning level students who are just starting out in the world of technical theatre. I especially enjoyed the section discussing theatre as a collaborative art. The text covers basic... read more

For an online book, I found this text to be appropriate for beginning level students who are just starting out in the world of technical theatre. I especially enjoyed the section discussing theatre as a collaborative art. The text covers basic concepts in scenic design. lighting design, sound, costumes and stage management. The author touches on all these areas in a brief, but effective manner. The book has a detailed glossary. However, I wish it had a table of contents.

In reviewing the text I did not find any areas where I questioned what I was reading. It seemed to be straight forward and written in a way that an entry level student could comprehend.

I would say that yes the content discussed is up to date with basic technical theater skills and areas of concentration. The areas that are discussed are typical and traditional and would not be in jeopardy of becoming out of date. Within the areas of scenic design, lighting, costumes, sound and stage management the author relays basic fundamental information that is necessary in understanding each area. Although I would like to see more discussion in regards to basic make-up. Since video projection has become popular in a lot of theaters I would have liked to have seen this area discussed briefly.

I found that the text was very easy to read. As stated earlier I feel that information is delivered in a way that would be accessible for entry level students to comprehend.

The text seemed to be consistent throughout. I felt that the level of information remained equal in regards to the different areas of technical theatre that are discussed within the book.

Modularity rating: 4

The text is divided into separate chapters/modules where each chapter/module focuses on a specific area of study. The text was easy to follow and the delineation between the different subject matters seemed to make sense to me. As stated earlier, I wish there was a table of contents to make looking up a specific area easier.

The topics that are discussed in this text are presented in an easy to read fashion. I suppose when creating a text that revolves around the different areas of technical theatre in a general/comprehensive way, it does not matter what subject areas are discussed in any order.

I enjoyed all of the sketches of different pieces of equipment that one might find in a theater. However, reading the book from the viewpoint of a student, I would have liked to have seen more color images that supported the areas being discussed. It would have been nice to see a few color production photos that illustrates some of the concepts touched on throughout the text.

As far as I can tell there were not any grammatical errors.

This text did not contain anything that seemed offensive or insensitive.

I enjoyed this text very much and would consider using it in our Stage Craft course.

Reviewed by Kathleen Conery, Costume Shop Manager/Adjunct Faculty, James Madison University on 3/11/19

Topics in all technical areas were touched on. There isn't a technical area I can think of that didn't get its own module. There were as well modules on several of the different areas needs for equipment. There was even discussion of proper... read more

Topics in all technical areas were touched on. There isn't a technical area I can think of that didn't get its own module. There were as well modules on several of the different areas needs for equipment. There was even discussion of proper etiquette and behavior backstage. Some technical areas were more thoroughly explored than others (some by quite a bit), but in general this book attempted to be quite thorough in its comprehensiveness.

While the areas most familiar to the author (lighting and scenery) seem to be mostly correct and quite thoroughly gone over, other areas were skimped, and there were some very subjective comments. In particular, in the discussion of costuming there were outright mistakes and misuses of terminology and job skills. I would not use this book without additional resources to correct the mistakes when talking about costuming.

The equipment lists will, of course, become dated over time, but at this point all modules address backstage and technical theatre as it is run today.

This book was easy to read. Any more specific terminology was explained and its usage demonstrated. I personally have very little experience in some of the technical areas, but I never felt lost reading about them. There was a great deal of repetitive verbiage in the early modules discussing theater personnel set ups, collaborations between directors and designers, and who made what decisions when. But most of the other modules flowed well and smoothly.

There were no issues with consistency that I could perceive.

Excellently done in its breakup into modules deliberately planned for easy reorganization.

The breakup into different modules seemed to work well for the most part. Though some choices felt odd... Why put color theory in with painting? Why not its own module so as to compare and contrast with lighting color theory? Lighting and scenery each had their own modules on equipment, but not costuming.

Many of the diagrams and illustrations were fuzzy and smeared looking. There were a few with text too small to comfortably read.

There tended to be a typographical in spelling mistake in every other module. Noticeable, but not such that the meaning and intention was hampered.

No issues noted with cultural references or pronoun assignments.

I appreciate the availability of an open textbook in this field. Many of the students who are required to take an introductory class such as this are not planning to pursue the topic further. Having an inexpensive and easily available alternative to pricey textbooks is a boon to such students. But I wish the author had consulted with more experts in the fields he is less familiar with.

Reviewed by tinamarie ivey, Faculty, Linn-Benton Community College on 2/27/19

The text is a strong example of how an online text can offer a comprehensive and effective resource that provides the essential elements necessary to educate students learning about technical theatre. The topics covered in each Module clearly... read more

The text is a strong example of how an online text can offer a comprehensive and effective resource that provides the essential elements necessary to educate students learning about technical theatre. The topics covered in each Module clearly defines each area effectively and expands upon areas not seen in other technical texts. An Introduction to Technical Theatre arms students with the necessary knowledge to become a professional artists.

The text is accurate, error-free and unbiased. I especially appreciate the first section, A Collaborative Art, addressing the necessary elements that must come together to create a positive and effective technical design and experience.

This text is user friendly with an emphasis on 'direct application'. Students will appreciate its clear and concise approach to technical theatre work and Instructors will find that the text is structured in a way that should updates need to be made, it can be completed with ease. I recommend that a Table of Contents be included with links to each Module directly from that table of contents.

The text is written in a manner that is engaging so that students can expand and deepen their understanding of the information outlined. Each Module helps students to better understand the subject by providing a context for the terminology covered; using accessible and understandable language.

The scope of the textbook and topic coverage are consistent in terms of terminology and framework.

The textbook is divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course and includes illustrations, tables and diagrams. The images included support each section with clarity and in high resolution quality. The text includes a Glossary which is extremely helpful to further explain terminology and a Module on 'Etiquette', offering the reader an insight into the environment of a production in action and what is expected before you encounter a dilemma.

The textbook is organized into broad sections entitled Modules, each addressing topis that are presented in a coherent, clear manner. Within each Module the reader can easily access breakout sections that clearly define and address specific aspects of a topic, making it easy to bring focus to a particular area of study.

All images and charts are free of interface issues. The text is free of interface issues.

No grammatical errors.

There are no culturally insensitive areas found within this text. The text discusses the need to work collaboratively within an artistic community: defining specific job responsibilities for each area of technical theater and identifies ways of maintaining a harmonious work environment.

I am thrilled to see an OER prepared by a graduate of California Institute of the Arts and who brings professional experience to the development of this text. It is a thorough resource that will be a welcomed addition to my course work.

Table of Contents

• Module 1: Theatre, A Collaborative Art
• Module 2: Organizational Structures
• Module 3: Production Scheduling
• Module 4: Theatre Spaces
• Module 5: Our Stages and Their Equipment
• Module 6: Design and Collaboration
• Module 7: Scenery and Construction
• Module 8: Props and Effects
• Module 9: Stage Management
• Module 10: Costumes and Character Creation
• Module 11: Lighting Design
• Module 12: Lighting Equipment and Control Systems
• Module 13: Sound Design and Equipment
• Module 14: Scene Painting and Color Theory
• Module 15: Stage Crews and Production Etiquette

Ancillary Material

About the book.

An Introduction to Technical Theatre draws on the author’s experience in both the theatre and the classroom over the last 30 years. Intended as a resource for both secondary and post-secondary theatre courses, this text provides a comprehensive overview of technical theatre, including terminology and general practices.

Introduction to Technical Theatre’s accessible format is ideal for students at all levels, including those studying technical theatre as an elective part of their education. The text’s modular format is also intended to assist teachers approach the subject at their own pace and structure, a necessity for those who may regularly rearrange their syllabi around productions and space scheduling.

About the Contributors

Contribute to this page.

On The Site

Teaching About Technology in Schools Through Technoskeptical Inquiry

June 3, 2024 | victorialynn | Harvard Educational Review Contributors , Voices in Education

By Jacob Pleasants, Daniel G. Krutka, and T. Philip Nichols

New technologies are rapidly transforming our societies, our relationships, and our schools. Look no further than the intense — and often panicked — discourse around generative AI , the metaverse , and the creep of digital media into all facets of civic and social life . How are schools preparing students to think about and respond to these changes?

In various ways, students are taught how to use technologies in school. Most schools teach basic computing skills and many offer elective vocational-technical classes. But outside of occasional conversations around digital citizenship, students rarely wrestle with deeper questions about the effects of technologies on individuals and society.

Decades ago, Neil Postman (1995) argued for a different form of technology education focused on teaching students to critically examine technologies and their psychological and social effects. While Postman’s ideas have arguably never been more relevant, his suggestion to add technology education as a separate subject to a crowded curriculum gained little traction. Alternatively, we argue that technology education could be an interdisciplinary endeavor that occurs across core subject areas. Technology is already a part of English Language Arts (ELA), Science, and Social Studies instruction. What is missing is a coherent vision and common set of practices and principles that educators can use to align their efforts.

To provide a coherent vision, in our recent HER article , we propose “technoskepticism” as an organizing goal for teaching about technology. We define technoskepticism as a critical disposition and practice of investigating the complex relationships between technologies and societies. A technoskeptical person is not necessarily anti-technology, but rather one who deeply examines technological issues from multiple dimensions and perspectives akin to an art critic.

We created the Technoskepticism Iceberg as a framework to support teachers and students in conducting technological inquiries. The metaphor of an iceberg conveys how many important influences of technology lie beneath our conscious awareness. People often perceive technologies as tools (the “visible” layer of the iceberg), but technoskepticism requires that they be seen as parts of systems (with interactions that produce many unintended effects) and embedded with values about what is good and desirable (and for whom). The framework also identifies three dimensions of technology that students can examine. The technical dimension concerns the design and functions of a technology, including how it may work differently for different people. The psychosocial dimension addresses how technologies change our individual cognition and our larger societies. The political dimension considers who makes decisions concerning the terms, rules, or laws that govern technologies.

To illustrate these ideas, how might we use the Technoskeptical Iceberg to interrogate generative AI such as ChatGPT in the core subject areas?

A science/STEM classroom might focus on the technical dimension by investigating how generative AI works and demystifying its ostensibly “intelligent” capabilities. Students could then examine the infrastructures involved in AI systems , such as immense computing power and specialized hardware that in turn have profound environmental consequences. A teacher could ask students to use their values to weigh the costs and potential benefits of ChatGPT.

A social studies class could investigate the psychosocial dimension through the longer histories of informational technologies (e.g., the printing press, telegraph, internet, and now AI) to consider how they shifted people’s lives. They could also explore political questions about what rules or regulations governments should impose on informational systems that include people’s data and intellectual property.

In an ELA classroom, students might begin by investigating the psychosocial dimensions of reading and writing, and the values associated with different literacy practices. Students could consider how the concept of “authorship” shifts when one writes by hand, with word processing software, or using ChatGPT. Or how we are to engage with AI-generated essays, stories, and poetry differently than their human-produced counterparts. Such conversations would highlight how literary values are mediated by technological systems . 

Students who use technoskepticism to explore generative AI technologies should be better equipped to act as citizens seeking to advance just futures in and out of schools. Our questions are, what might it take to establish technoskepticism as an educational goal in schools? What support will educators need? And what might students teach us through technoskeptical inquiries?

Postman, N. (1995). The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School. Vintage Books.

About the Authors

Jacob Pleasants is an assistant professor of science education at the University of Oklahoma. Through his teaching and research, he works to humanize STEM education by helping students engage with issues at the intersection of STEM and society.

Daniel G. Krutka is a dachshund enthusiast, former high school social studies teacher, and associate professor of social studies education at the University of North Texas. His research concerns technology, democracy, and education, and he is the cofounder of the Civics of Technology project ( www.civicsoftechnology.org ).

T. Philip Nichols is an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Baylor University. He studies the digitalization of public education and the ways science and technology condition the ways we practice, teach, and talk about literacy.

They are the authors of “ What Relationships Do We Want with Technology? Toward Technoskepticism in Schools ” in the Winter 2023 issue of Harvard Educational Review .

• Gift Guides
• Voices in Education

• Skip to content
• Skip to search
• Skip to footer

Training, Events, and Webinars

Training and certifications

• Certifications
• Training catalog

Training resources

• Featured events
• Events calendar
• Partner events

• Global campaign webinars
• Technical Knowledge Library
• Influencer hub
• Cisco Knowledge Network

Popular training and events

Tech learning experience shaped around your goals.

Cisco Guided Study Groups

A blended learning experience that combines the best of instructor-led training and self-paced e-learning to help you prepare for your certification exam.

Cisco Live 2024

June 2—6, 2024 Las Vegas, NV

Certification tracking system

Cisco Learning Locator

Cisco Learning Network

Cisco Learning Partner program

Training Services

Message Boards

[WSG24] Daily Study Group: Introduction to Machine Learning

• Ctrl+K" style="left: 0px;">
• Ctrl+G" style="left: 100px;">
• Ctrl+L" style="left: 125px;">
• Ctrl+Q" style="left: 150px;">
• Ctrl+B" style="left: 200px;">
• Ctrl+I" style="left: 225px;">
• Ctrl+U" style="left: 250px;">
• Ctrl+O" style="left: 275px;">
• Wolfram|One
• Mathematica
• Wolfram|Alpha Notebook Edition
• Wolfram|Alpha Pro
• Mobile Apps
• Finance Platform
• System Modeler
• Wolfram Player
• Wolfram Engine
• WolframScript
• Wolfram Workbench
• Volume & Site Licensing
• Enterprise Private Cloud
• Application Server
• View all...
• Technical Consulting
• Corporate Consulting
• For Customers
• Online Store
• Product Registration
• Product Downloads
• Service Plans Benefits
• User Portal
• Your Account
• Support FAQ
• Customer Service
• Contact Support
• Wolfram Language Documentation
• Wolfram Language Introductory Book
• Get Started with Wolfram
• Fast Introduction for Programmers
• Fast Introduction for Math Students
• Webinars & Training
• Summer Programs
• Public Resources
• Wolfram|Alpha
• Demonstrations Project
• Resource System
• Connected Devices Project
• Wolfram Data Drop
• Wolfram + Raspberry Pi
• Wolfram Science
• Computer-Based Math
• Computational Thinking
• About Wolfram
• Wolfram Community
• Wolfram Blog
• Legal & Privacy Policy
• WolframAlpha.com
• WolframCloud.com