Vocational Education in the American School System

Woodshop and home economics are a few of classes with the reputation of being easy credit courses. Instead of being known for preparing students for the future, they are known teaching students to bake cookies and build rocking chairs.

However, vocational training classes are much different than how they are portrayed in high school movies. Vocational Education Training (VET) or Career and Technical Education (CTE), as it is sometimes called, is a course path that more schools are taking up because it is becoming more relevant in education training of students.

VET and CTE are classes that actually prepare students with the skills needed for different professions. Instead of simply teaching English and math skills through problems and other forms of typical class work, these classes tend to be more hands on. 

Eighty percent of jobs require some sort of post-high school education, according to Analysis: Resurgence of vocational education. This does not necessarily mean a college degree. Vocational education can be used not as a substitute for college, but as an aid to secure a career. There are so many schools outside of high school that now offer programs such as apprenticeships and technical colleges that support education for on-the-job skills. 

Past education was more focused on job skills and things that would prepare students for their futures after middle or high school. As time went on, schools focused more on college preparatory, and now, it seems that both college prep and vocational education are very important for the future.

Education will continue to evolve and change to meet the needs of the society. In a time when a high school diploma is not as valuable as it used to be, having different choices to better prepare students will become a popular trend.

At Empire High School, a brand new building with multiple classrooms is being built to house a few new CTE programs being introduced. Three of these new classes are Health care Fundamentals, Certified Nursing Assistant and Pharmacy Technician.  The latter two are only being offered for seniors who would like to go into those professions and gain valuable experience for their futures. 

As education continues to evolve into what is necessary, it is clear that VET and CTE course will become more and more valuable.  This means there will be far more opportunities for those people who feel that college is not for them, but still want to have a successful career in something they enjoy.
 

About the author: Lauren Rosen is a sophomore at Empire High School.

Works Cited
"Analysis: Resurgence of vocational education." Talk of the Nation 4 Sept. 2002.
Literature Resource Center. Web. 10 Apr. 2010.