School-to-Career Blog 022406
The views expressed here are Chris' and are not necessarily the same as the Wake County Public School System.
Does Career and Technical Education Affect College Enrollment?
Publications - Research And Development Project Reports web page for The National Centers for Career and Technical Education. Available as a free PDF document, html document, or a bound version can be purchased online.
DeLuca, S., Plank, S., & Estacion, A. (2006). Does Career and Technical Education Affect College Enrollment? St. Paul, MN: National Research Center for Career and Technical Education. (Available from National Dissemination Center for Career and Technical Education, The Ohio State University, 1900 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1016; http://www.nccte.org)
Chris' thoughts -
I was intrigued by this article because of it's title. It turns out that the authors apparently subscribe to the old-school belief that a college degree is the ticket to happiness. Having a higher college education is one of the many things that society uses to drive the wedge between the Haves and Have-Nots.
Here's a quote from the article:
"Federal policy, parents, and guidance counselors emphasize the importance of a college degree for lifelong competitiveness in the labor market and as the primary avenue for achieving middle-class success (Rosenbaum, 2001)."
What most people don't realize is that there are many high-demand jobs that don't require a college education and pay the same or better than the jobs that do require a college education.
We certainly value the plumber or auto mechanic when we need them to fix things, but for some reason we don't give them the same credit for their knowledge if it didn't come from a university.
That blue collar worker that you don't want to be in your elite social club might be earning more money than you are!
Chris writes for the following Blogs:
- Wake County School-to-Career Blog
- Association for Career and Technical Education's (ACTE) New and Related Services Division, School-to-Work/Careers Section (ACTE blog)
- Association for Career and Technical Education's (ACTE) New and Related Services Division, School-to-Work/Careers Section (ACTE blog) (alternate view)
- Wake County Public School System's Morning Announcements (WCPSS blog)
Wake County Public School System programs are staffed and offered without regard to race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, political affiliation, or disability.