Education for tomorrow’s jobs

Unemployment among young people is a serious and persistent problem in this country. Unemployment rates are especially high among members of minority groups, for high school dropouts, and in economically depressed areas. Vocational education can help to alleviate the problem of unemployment, and a close link between schools and employers can help ensure that vocational education programs are teaching students the skills that employers will need. The public elementary and secondary schools should offer noncollege-bound students a thorough grounding in language skills, reasoning, and mathematics, along with the mechanical and technical skills and work habits that will prepare them for working life. This responsibility should not be shifted to the private sector (although ways employers can help significantly are outlined in this report). Although some vocational education and training programs do improve the employability of their graduates, the quality of vocational education programs is highly variable, and the access of disadvantaged students is not ensured. Expanded collaboration between vocational educators and private sector employers and improved cooperation between vocational education and employment training programs are recommended. Work experience programs should help, as would strengthening the capabilities of vocational education teachers through changes in certification requirements, training, use of part-time teachers, and pay scales. Three policy changes could improve the financing of vocational education: modifications in the formulas for funding programs, strategies for pooling equipment, and supplemental funding for program improvement. Other approaches include experimentation with vocational incentive grants to disadvantaged students and attention to consumer protection in vocational education programs. Selected tables on youth employment and unemployment are appended. (Kc).