Career Education--Legislators' Concern.

Overview & Synopsis

Vocational-technical education can alter the situation of manpower shortages, unemployable youth, increasing numbers of welfare recipients, and increasing number of dropouts. There has been legislative response to the nation's commitment to vocational-technical education. The financial returns of the career-oriented education are impressive in that it more than pays for itself, yet an inequity persists in the distribution of education dollars between college allocations and allocations to vocational education. The image of vocational education needs to be improved while career education is stressed. There are five levels of curriculum organization which can be effective in conveying the career education concept: K-6, 7-9, 10-14, post-secondary, and adult and continuing education. To make career education a reality, it is necessary to consider all education as both academic and vocational, also cooperative programs must be improved, work experience must be available, job placement must be stressed, and programs must be updated. With better trained teachers and effective guidance and counseling, the challenge can be met. (AG)