The Future of Higher Education in U.S.A
Vocational education and training in the USA represent the product of an extension of the evolutionary progression. The economic, educational, and social aspects have on many occasions been exerting pressure and influencing on how vocational education is defined, as well as defining when, where, how and to whom this education should be provided. One can define vocational education that teaches students to be practical with attempts of equipping them job or career skill instruction. In this regard, various components are subject to the classification under the umbrella of vocational education. These components are agricultural education, knowledge of market, the technical skills, technological knowledge, and industrial trade education (Barabasch and Rauner 39). Many implications are present that makes it important to define education as the primarily vocational training rather than defining it in general terms such as preparation for global citizenship. It thus leads to the thesis; education gives people the profound understanding that they link to one another in a manner that makes them citizens of the global community, and that challenges that occur are also interconnected. Therefore, the paper is going to provide the implications of defining the American education as a primarily vocational training, rather than defining it generalized broader terms.
A recent federally funded study was able to figure out some informative conclusions about the impact of vocational training. The first reason in support of vocational education is that it has both the short- and medium-earning benefits for the majority of students, applying to both secondary and post-secondary education levels. These benefits also extend to those people that are economically disadvantaged.
Another reason in support of vocational education is that over the last decade of which many academic reforms have been occurring, secondary education students that have been participating in vocational programs were able to increase their academic course-taking program and achievement, which makes them better prepared for both their college education and careers. Therefore, this reported increase in academic course taking has the higher likelihood of increasing academic requirements for graduation.
Another reason in support of vocational education is that the global economic competition in increasingly relying upon the countries into competing on the quality of goods and services. To achieve such status, there is a need to have a labour force that has some technical and professional skills, alongside having the high-level skills that one can associate to the university or college education (Jones and Womble 415).
In this regard, it thus calls to support of vocational training as it plays critical roles in initiating reforms in the education curriculum. Therefore, certain elements need to be part of the process for any successful vocational training reform efforts. Some of these elements include academic rigor, stronger links to the economic development and the labor market needs, initiation of smoother transitions to post-secondary education by the students of whose high school experience prepares then for either college education or their earlier careers.
How definitions of education have changed over the course of country’s history
The support that the federal government provides for the establishment of vocational education started at the time of Smith-Hughes Act, back in 1917. It is the time when two Democratic lawmakers all of them coming from Georgia named, Senator Hoke Smith and Dudley Mays Hughes, who was a state representative, played a key role in drafting this historic bill. The bill went ahead to establish vocational training in the education curricula, particularly supporting agriculture education as part of the federal program. The same Act was reflecting the reformers’ view that had the belief that there was a need to ensure that youth had adequate preparation to meet the entry-level job requirements through learning and acquiring specific occupational skills in the education curricula. By 1960s, the Congress had managed to establish vocational education upon realizing the need for having a new focus in American education system. As an outcome, the Act of 1963 that was mandating Vocational Education, the state was able to broaden its definition of vocational system of education. The new definition was to include the occupational programs to be offered at high school level of education, such as business and commerce (Kuczera 61).
The program was facing an initial challenge of which localities were reluctant at responding to the need of improving programs while at the same time serving students with special needs, of which the 1968 Amendments done to the Act was backing. The new change was able to initiate for the establishment of a feature that would distinguish all legislations relating to this Act since 1968, advocating for the formation of an education system that compromises between demands for the improved quality of the new educational program and that of increasing the opportunities for all the students with special needs. The funds dedicated entirely to the disabled and the disadvantaged students appeared to serve as an a new strategy, which resulted in increased enrolments and expansion of funds allocated to these groups.
Later on, other special speculations were subject to add to the federal system of vocational training. For example in 1974, there was need for ensuring that all students reached a limited level of proficiency in English language, which was subject to address through the provisions as provided by the bilingual vocational training. In 1976, the students became eligible for the part of the funds dedicated for the disadvantaged, and the provision that eliminates bias in both sex and stereotyping through vocational education programs (Kuczera 65). Other educational reforms had absolute focus on secondary education, which started emerging in the 1980s. The concerns of the declining competitiveness of American education upon comparison with other standards of education across the world, together with relating the poor performance in tests relating to educational achievements.
Right from the mid-1980s, there was an emergence of another wave of school reform with the belief that the initial initiative had failed to achieve much about improving education for all students across the state. The new wave, also called as “restructuring” was calling for introduction of some changes in the manner of which schools and educational processes were organized. The first phase of reform movement did receive its major boost following the publication of 1983, the report that the National Commission on Excellence published regarding matters of education. The report was recommending for the formation of subsequent changes aiming for the strengthening the level and quality of high school education, followed by requesting for the development of rigorous educational standards. Many other amendments to the Act were able to follow later on. On October 31, 1998, President Clinton was able to sign into law the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act (Pub. L. 105-332). The two major focus areas for this legislation was aiming to increase accountability and providing states with more flexibility in the use of funds, which is still in practice to date (Kuczera 67).
The reason behind the change of definitions
The first reason for changes in definition was that the Act was aiming to provide the right mix of skills that suits the labour market. The program thus advocates for vocational training that goes beyond secondary level education and promotes sharing of costs between government, employers, and individual students basing upon the benefits obtained. The second reason behind changes of the definition was to reform career guidance into delivering effective advice for all. The plan was to develop a coherent career guidance profession that was independent of psychological counselling and well informed by the labour market information.
Another reason behind changes in the vocational education system was the interest and purpose of ensuring that teachers and trainers have a good preparation with adequate industry experience. The program thus calls for the recruitment of teachers and trainers for the vocational education teaching institutions and ensuring that the workforce is well acquainted with the needs of achieving a modern industry. Finally, the reason behind changes in vocational education program was due to the aim of making full use of the workplace learning. The program was thus to ensure that the framework for workplace training was the one that encouraged both employers and students into participation and the development of a framework that engages stakeholders and promoting transparency (Chacko 247).
The solution to problems facing the American education system
Through the facts gathered in support of primarily vocational over the generalised education system, the only solution to problems in the American education system is vocational training. Vocational education and training are needed so that students may learn many skills required in the workplace or through formal training. Employers will also be reluctant at hiring graduate students unless they are “job ready” (Akinyemi 16). Vocational training in the American education system will thus help at bridging the existing gap in the American education system and the labour market, hence better than the common aspect of defining education in broader terms such as preparing students for global citizenship. Therefore, it is thus justified to conclude that education gives people the profound understanding that they link to one another in a manner that makes them citizens of the global community, and that challenges that occur are also interconnected, which is evident through vocational education and training.
Works Cited
Akinyemi, K. "Aligning practice with policy in vocational-technical education." The Vocational Aspect of Education 39.102 (1987): 15-18. Print.
Barabasch, Antje, and Felix Rauner. Work and Education in America: The Art of Integration. Dordrecht: Springer, 2012. Print.
Chacko, ThomasV. "Moving toward competency-based education: Challenges and the way forward." Arch Med Health Sci 2.2 (2014): 247. Print.
Jones, Karen H., and Myra N. Womble. "Perceptions of urban trade and industrial students in the south-eastern USA: school and career-related issues." Journal of Vocational Education & Training 49.3 (1997): 409-430. Print.
Kuczera, Malgorzata. "OECD Reviews of Vocational Education and Training: A Learning for Jobs Review of the United States, South Carolina 2011." OECD Reviews of Vocational Education and Training (2011): n. pag. Print.
