>
Career Clusters
> College
Connection
>
FAQ's for Career Tech
>
For Parents
>
Middle School Programs
|
Q: What is career and technical education?
A: Career and
technical education prepares both youth and
adults for a wide range of careers, from
registered nurse to computer technician, that
require varying levels of education--from high
school to postsecondary certificates to two-and
four-year college degrees.
Q:
What subject areas are covered by career and
technical education?
A:
The following are the
subject areas most commonly associated with
career and technical education: * Business
(office administration and entrepreneurship) *
Trade & Industrial (skilled trades such as
automotive technician, carpenter, computer
numerical control technician) * Health
Occupations (nursing, dental, and medical
technicians) * Agriculture (careers related to
food and fiber production and agribusiness) *
Family and Consumer Sciences (culinary arts,
family management and life skills) * Marketing
(merchandising and retail) * Technology
(computer-based careers)
Q: Where is
career and technical education offered?
A: In middle
schools, high schools, two-year community and
technical colleges, and other postsecondary
schools.
Q: How is it
offered?
A: Public middle
schools in the United States typically offer some career
and technical education courses, such as family
and consumer sciences and technology education
(a modular sequence of courses that enables
students to explore a variety of
technology-based careers). High school programs
are offered either within a "comprehensive" high
school or in separate "area vocational-technical
schools." In some states, such as Delaware, both
academic and technical courses are offered in
full-time vocational-technical high schools.
Usually career and technical programs are
offered as a sequence of courses that are
supplemented by work-based experiences such as
internships or apprenticeships.
Q: Is career and
technical education only for students who are
not college bound?
A: No. Career and
technical education can provide a foundation of
skills that enables high school graduates to be
gainfully employed--either full-time or while in
college. Nearly two-thirds of all high school
graduates of career and technical programs enter
some form of postsecondary program. Rigorous
academic content tied to technical subject
matter ensures that these students will be ready
for college. And the internships and other
cooperative work experiences that are a hallmark
of technical education are attractive to all
students who want to get a head start on a
career, whether that career goal is doctor or
nurse, automotive technician or computer
sciences. Student career organizations for every
subject area also help students acquire the
employability and leadership skills that will
enable them to succeed in the workplace. Tech
prep programs link high school and community
college curricula to help students make a smooth
transition to postsecondary education and
careers.
Q: How many
career and technical students are there in the
U.S.?
A: There are 11
million secondary and postsecondary career and
technical education students in the U.S.,
according to the U.S. Office of Educational
Research and Improvement.
Q: How many
career and technical programs are there in the
U.S.?
A: Across the
country, career and technical education programs
are offered in about 11,000 comprehensive high
schools, several hundred vocational-technical
high schools and about 1,400 area vo-tech
centers, which serve students from several
"sending" high schools. About 9,400
postsecondary institutions offer technical
programs, including community colleges,
technical institutes, skill centers and other
public and private two- and four-year colleges.
Q: Has anyone
compiled a list of leading career and technical
programs?
A: The U.S.
Department of Education has named career and
technical education programs to its "New
American High Schools" list and the Office of
Vocational and Adult Education also has
recognized programs with awards. ACTE and the
American Automobile Manufacturers Association
sponsor Awards for Excellence in Automotive
Training.
Q: How is career
and technical education funded?
A: Programs
receive about $1.3 billion annually from the
federal government through the Carl D. Perkins
Vocational and Technical Education Act. That
represents about 8-10 percent of budgets for
these programs, which receive most of their
funding from local and state revenue. Other
laws, such as the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act, The Higher Education Act, The
Workforce Investment Act, and School-to-Work
Opportunities Act also fund programs.
Q: How are career
and technical education and school-to-work
related?
A: School-to-work
or school-to-careers is an umbrella term that
unites all career-related education, such as
career exploration, tech prep, cooperative
education and vocational education.
School-to-work, a term codified by a federal act
passed in 1994, has spurred states and local
school districts to establish more formal
education systems to ensure that all students
have knowledge of career pathways and
opportunities to learn career skills "hands on,"
especially through internships or other forms of
work-based learning.
Q: Is there any
proof career and technical education works?
A: Yes, according
to many state and local studies. A 1991 New York
study of 76,000 secondary vocational graduates
found that 6 to 18 months after graduation, 91
percent were productively employed, in the
military or enrolled in postsecondary education.
A recent large-scale study of 13,000 Ohio
vocational education graduates found that seven
years after high school, the vocational
graduates earned significantly more than a
comparable group of non-vocational
graduates and the
earnings gap between the two groups appeared to
widen with time.
Last Updated:
Monday, October 10, 2005
|
