This site is a class blog space for new Career and Technical Specializations and Heathcare Science teachers enrolled in the New Teacher Institute (NTI) at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Mixed Emotions
I have mixed emotions about this theorem. I do agree that Vocational education is not for everyone. There are some folks that are not hands on learners and/or performers. They would rather sit in an office behind a computer working with numbers instead of people or their hands. The portion of the theorem I am struggling with states that individuals "are able to profit from it". While the goal of Vocational education is to produce a highly trained workforce, not every student that goes through the Vocational education process will wind up in the field that they studied. If that is the case, does it mean that the student who received a Vocational education is not a success because they are not earning a living via that education? I believe that vocational education produces well rounded individuals that can succeed in a vocational or cerebral environment. Anyone that chooses Vocational education will learn soft skills, customer service skills, and money management skills in addition to the specialty tied to their degree. The experience of Vocational education is a profitable one even if you choose not to enter the field of your study.
I didn't think about it that way, but very true, often times the students trained in my area don't find employment in the field. They definitely can use the career ready skills to pursue any career so I'd consider that to still be profitable. It's acceptable to be on the fence with this theorem but i was too far over to agreeing with it to even consider that the statement could be viewed in another way. I like that you truly though about both sides of this. I find that difficult sometimes. I guess because i can't even imagine sitting behind a desk, working in a career that wasn't vocational. I've though many times about what I'd do if I weren't a teacher or I wasn't a graphic designer. I think I'd still want to take on another career in the vocational area… maybe a mechanic.
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