The Vocational Training System in the United States

Thomas Bailey

Community College Research Center

Teachers College, Columbia University

And

Peter Berg

School of Labor and Industrial Relations

Michigan State University

Outline

• Structure of the post secondary education system in the United States

• Characteristics of the vocational education student population

• Connection of vocational education to the labor market

• Weakening distinction between general and vocational education

• Issues in vocational education

Structure of Post Secondary (PS) Educational Options

High SchoolAcademic/Vocational

4-Year Univ. Private

4-Year Univ. Public2-Year Com. Coll. Public

2-Year Trade School, for profit

4-Year College, for profit

Apprenticeship

Non-Credit instruction

  

2-Year Com. Coll. Public

4-Year Univ. Public

4-Year College, for profit

Providers of Non-Credit Job-Related Education (1999)

Elementary school, junior HS, or HS 4.3%

Public community colleges 6.5%

4-year college or university 12.4%

Private vocational school 9.6%

Adult learning center 1.3%

Business or industry 38.1%

Professional assoc./labor union 10.8%

Government agency & public library 11.9%

Community, religious, or other org. 5.1%

Total number of students: 53,600,000

Source: NHES99

Fall Headcount: 1970 to 2000

0

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

7,000,000

1970-71

1972-73

1974-75

1976-77

1978-79

1980-81

1982-83

1984-85

1986-87

1988-89

1990-91

1992-93

1994-95

1996-97

1998-99

2000-01

Source: U.S. Department of Education. (2002). Digest of Education Statistics.

Public four-year

Private four-year

Public two-year

Private two-year

To Which Field of Study?

48%

28%33%27%

10%

51%

65%

40%

49%

32%

17%24%

27%24%25%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

No Degree Certificate AA/AS BA/BS Total

Academic Occupational Missing

Source: BPS89.

Current Fund Expenditures (per student, 1995-96)

$20,579

$7,180

$28,623

$8,609

$0

$5,000

$10,000

$15,000

$20,000

$25,000

$30,000

$35,000

Public four-year Public two-year Private four-year Private two-year

1995-96

Source: U.S. Department of Education. (2002). Digest of Education Statistics.

Tuition (2001-2002)

Institution Tuition

Private Four-year $16,287

Public Four-year $3,746

Public Two-year $1,379

States with the Largest and Smallest Two-Year Enrollment

Five states with most CC students

Four-year Two-year1) California 551,871 1,375,9002) Texas 436,530 460,0043) Illinois 193,783 340,3724) Florida 238,189 318,7235) New York 336,003 247,414

Five states with fewest CC students

Four-year Two-year46) West Virginia 69,967 6,16947) Montana 32,059 5,32848) South Dakota 29,882 4,97549) Vermont 15,609 4,41250) Alaska 25,396 1,163

0.170.170.280.05

1.340.74

0.09to four-year

Public Ratio of two-year

Public Ratio of two-year

to four-year2.491.051.76

Source: U.S. Department of Education. (2002). Digest of Education Statistics.

(Fall 2000)

Summary

• CCs account for 40-50 percent of PS enrollments• CCs have much lower costs and much lower tuition• The majority of students in community colleges are in

occupational programs• Structure of PS sector varies by state

Characteristics of the Vocational Education Student

Population

High School Completion and Initial Postsecondary Enrollment

Eighth Graders in 1988

PSE 2-Yr or <2-Yr38%

PSE 4-Yr40%

No PSE w/HS or GED15%

No PSE, No HS7%

High School Completion and Initial Postsecondary Education by SES Quartile

Eighth Graders in 1988

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Lowest Second Third Highest

Perc

ent o

f SES

Qua

rtile

No PSE, No HS

No PSE w/HS or GED

PSE 2-Yr or <2-Yr

PSE 4-Yr

Community Colleges and AccessCompared to Students in BA Programs

Dimension Main Characteristics

Demographics Older & Minority

Program of study Occupational

Intensity Part-time & Part-year

Reasons for enrolling Job skills

Self perception Worker in college

Family background Low SES & First-generation

High school background Low rank & scores

Source: NPSAS96; BPS89; NELS88

Connection of Vocational Education to the Labor Market• Weak relationship between specific educational

credentials and specific jobs.• Employers involved in designing curricula at

community colleges. Many courses taught by past practitioners. Employers serve on community college advisory boards.

• Labor Union involvement varies by state. More involvement where unions are strong.

• Varied economic value to vocational education

Economic Outcomes by DegreeHS

diplomaCert AA/AS BA/BS

Wages (1999) $23,297 $22,426 $27,225 $33,733

Hours worked

per week (1999)

42.9 41.7 42.5 44.6

% Employed (2000) 85.7% 88.6% 94.8% 95.9%

% Employed

full-time (2000)

77.1% 77.2% 85.8% 90.8%

Source: NELS.44039.41

Economic Value of a Community College Education

• Benefits of an Associate Degree (compared to a HS degree) Men earn 15 to 30 percent more Women earn up to 50 percent more

• Certificates Positive for women Uncertain for men

• Earnings benefit of an associate degree is at least half of the benefit of a BA

Summary of Economic Value

• AAs and BAs have economic value• CC education, on a per year or per

course basis, has as high a payoff as BA education (at least so far)

• Certificates have uncertain value and rarely serve as lower rungs of educational ladders

• Education without degrees has value, but degrees have more value

Blurring of the Lines between Vocational and General

Education• Traditionally, distinction made by type of

degree, not preparing students for work.

• Many occupational degrees have counterparts in general education system.– Nursing, IT, engineering, accounting

• 4-Year universities are increasingly occupational.– BA’s in business, education, health

Blurring of the Lines between Vocational and General

Education• Efforts to increase transfers to general

education have met with limited success

• Non-credit instruction (further training) occurring across all post-secondary institutions.

Issues in Vocational Education

• Transferability and achieving a degree or certification

• Equity

CC First PSE Students in Various GroupsPercent Distribution by Highest Outcome in All PSE within

Eight Years (NELS)

010203040506070

All

Low In

com

e

Hispan

icBlac

k

Pre

ce

nta

ge

No Degree orTransfer

Transfer

Degree orCertificate

Equity

• CC education has value, especially if students earn degrees

• Many still don’t have access even to CCs

• Many, almost a majority, do not earn any degrees

• Access and success are both highly related to income.

Conclusion• Vocational Education System is undergoing change

– Rising education requirements– Increasing academic content of vocational work– More non-traditional pathways through college– Concerns about equity and opportunity

• Distinctions between vocational education and general education, between initial and further training are becoming blurred.

• Efforts to build a system to prepare students for work and subsequent education are far from realized

• Race and class still matter