Students who complete Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs participate in approved external examinations that test technical skills. When a student passes the exam, in addition to the certificate or license earned, a credential is awarded. This, when combined with the standard credit for a CTE course, can be used as a verified credit for…

Career and Technical Education (CTE) prepares students for many of the jobs in Virginia forecasted to experience the fastest growth in the coming years. Given the large percentage of jobs that require some type of postsecondary education or training (currently estimated at 63 percent of all jobs in the United States), it is critical that high…

Objective: This study sought to determine how aligned community college students' declared majors were with long-term occupational projections. In addition, the study explored whether this link was sensitive to entry-level education. Method: The current study merged two disparate sources of national education and economic data to form a novel…

Career education programs in California's community colleges are a critical component of public higher education in the state. Also known as career technical or vocational programs, career education trains individuals for middle-skill jobs that require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree. These jobs make up a third of…

Long before most people had seen an automobile, thrill-seekers across the globe were driving cars competitively. The speed of racecars has accelerated steadily, as has the popularity of the sport. In public opinion polls of sports popularity, in fact, auto racing consistently finishes near the top. Racecar drivers may be the star of their event,…

This paper was presented to a meeting of the Wellington Exchange, an international group of higher education officials, in December 2008. One of the topics of the meeting was around the issue of possible skills shortages emerging as a result of demographic trends, with the ageing of the population of developed countries. The paper argues that this…

The vocational education and training (VET) sector seeks to teach courses that will meet the future demands from employers in terms of the quantity and types of skills required. This report, which is part of the larger consortium program, "A well-skilled future: Tailoring VET to the emerging labour market," examines how the VET sector…

There are many jobs available for persons with the required training. The article explores some of the areas where job openings exist, discusses the types of schooling appropriate, and provides examples for relating military training and prison rehabilitation programs to present times. (AG)

Reports on the latest national job projections and provides a broad look at the job picture in all occupational groups through the year 2005. (JOW)

The author presents suggestions for vocational educators who are considering making curriculum changes. Suggestions include studying new trends, reviewing technical literature, communicating with experts, searching for occupational projections, locating existing programs, and making decisions. (CT)

In 2004 NCVER invited proposals from a consortia of researchers to address questions relating to changing work skill needs and work organisation arrangements and their implications for the vocational education and training sector. The National Institute of Labour Studies, Flinders University, and the Centre for Post-compulsory Education and…

Research in Nigeria and Thailand is used to demonstrate that, where vocational training is cost effective (graduates get appropriate jobs), links with employers are closer than in other labor markets. Techniques such as reverse tracer studies, labor market signaling, and skills analysis can be used to improve training effectiveness. (SK)

This model for forecasting regional and national occupational trends for use in vocational education planning, facilitates the incorporation of labor market and student needs into program planning. The study includes: (1) literature search, which yielded 80 references related to occupational trend forecasting and exploratory programs, (2) a…

Based on the final report of a study made by the National Planning Association for the Division of Research, U.S. Office of Education.

New legislation should ensure the development of an information system to identify priorities in vocational education related to occupational forecasts. Information on employment needs is essential to good educational planning. (JOW)