Career and Technical Education
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Career and
technical education, commonly known as vocational education,
is a massive enterprise in the U.S. Thousands of
comprehensive high schools, vocational and technical high
schools, area vocational centers, and community and
technical colleges offer vocational education programs.
Virtually every high school student takes at least one
vocational education course, and one in four students takes
three or more courses in a single program area. One-third of
college students are involved in vocational programs, and as
many as 40 million adults engage in short-term postsecondary
occupational training.
Today,
eighty-five years after the passage of the first piece of
federal vocational education legislation, vocational
education is evolving as it prepares students for work
immediately following high school. With national and state
school reform efforts focused on academic and skills
achievement, and with the fastest-growing occupations now
requiring some postsecondary education, vocational education
is seeking effective ways to contribute to these goals.
Facts and Figures
