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Across the Fence:  Do they still teach vocational skills in school?  |
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nabrown42
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Nancy
Caneyville
KY
USA
409 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 14 2012 : 5:57:49 PM
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Vocational courses were taught when I was in high school. You could study automotive repair, carpentry, electrical and plumbing trades. In some schools, they were co-op courses with a local 2-year college, in others they were electives in regular school.
We have stressed upon our children that they must go to college in order to succeed in life. Today we're graduating scholars who are up to $200,000 in debt and there's no job waiting for them. The skilled carpenters are underemployed right now because of the housing crisis but they have a life skill upon which to fall back. The plumber still needs to be called and if you have a man in your neighborhood who's a mechanic, he can still feed his family.
Let's go back to offering "life skills" and stop looking down on the boy or girl who decides not to go to college and who wants to learn a trade.
"I've wept in the night for the shortness of sight that to someone's needs I've been blind; but I've yet to feel a twinge of regret for being a little too kind." |
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SandraM
True Blue Farmgirl
295 Posts
Sandra
Coldwater
Michigan
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - Aug 14 2012 : 7:20:37 PM
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Our county has a career center. They offer about 18 different programs. 11th and 12th graders can sign up as part of their school day. My oldest daughter went to the ag science program.
Sandra
www.mittenstatesheepandwool.com |
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Aug 14 2012 : 7:27:30 PM
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they no longer have them here, its a major money issue in the entire state...very sad...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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rough start farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3331 Posts
marianne
The Beautiful Pacific NW
Washington State
USA
3331 Posts |
Posted - Aug 14 2012 : 7:32:41 PM
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I am with you. I think we are doing the children a disservice when we utter the phrase, "go to school, work hard and you can be anything you want." It is no longer the case. An education does not guarantee a job. We need to stop sending our jobs overseas.
marianne |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Aug 14 2012 : 7:40:01 PM
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In Oklahoma, we have the most amazing vocational school system. We have Vocational Technology centers in every county - some counties with multiple ones - and if a student wants to go to one of these schools while in high school, school busses pick them up at school and take them to the centers for training, starting with sophomore in high school. Home schooled students, private school and adults can all enroll as well. My son, while being home schooled, enrolled in the Airframe and Powerplant program, a two year FAA certification program for working on every aspect of airplanes, and graduated from high school with the credentials to go straight into a job at the air force base or any of the aviation companies around here. He went on to get his bachelor degree in mathematics and is now working for an aviation company, having now gotten his FAA inspectors license as well. Kids can graduate with the certifications to start in heating and air conditioning, construction, computer science, etc. plus everything they take counts toward college credit. It is just wonderful.
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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nabrown42
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Nancy
Caneyville
KY
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Aug 14 2012 : 7:53:08 PM
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Mary Beth, it's encouraging to hear that there are still districts that understand that vocational training is as much of value as a college degree. Fort Wayne, IN has a similar aircraft training school as your son's. Unfortunately, these programs are the exceptions, not the norm.
I was looking for an adult education class in our area to study wood working but the nearst one was 200 miles from here.
"I've wept in the night for the shortness of sight that to someone's needs I've been blind; but I've yet to feel a twinge of regret for being a little too kind." |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Aug 14 2012 : 8:03:14 PM
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Nabrown, the great thing about our vo-techs is that they are part of a statewide program, not just a district. The legislature passed a bill that established these as part of the state run school system. It has made Oklahoma well prepared with tradesmen of all stripes to work across the state. I come from an educator family but I can tell you that college is only good for certain jobs. When one figures how much one can owe in student loans vs what one will make after graduation, very often college is not the answer at all to training. We are very proud of our vocational centers for sure!!
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Aug 14 2012 : 8:07:05 PM
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We have a vocational school in my small community. The town has been rebuilding the school for over a year now. Hopefully, it will open soon.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
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nabrown42
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Nancy
Caneyville
KY
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Aug 14 2012 : 8:23:44 PM
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Mary Beth, you have every right to be proud of your state's Department of Education. When are the other states going to realize what a disadvantage they have if they don't teach the trades. Many jobs go unfilled because of a lack of trained workers.
"I've wept in the night for the shortness of sight that to someone's needs I've been blind; but I've yet to feel a twinge of regret for being a little too kind." |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Aug 14 2012 : 8:41:00 PM
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Nabrown, I just heard a story on a company in Pennsylvania that has 600 openings and can't fill them because they don't have people who are trained in that particular trade as machinist. The pay was incredible with nobody to fill the jobs!!! That is just wrong. With so many people out of work, you would think that states would get the message.
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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AlyssaMarie
True Blue Farmgirl
287 Posts
AlyssaMarie
Palouse
Washington
USA
287 Posts |
Posted - Aug 14 2012 : 9:21:09 PM
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People ask me if I want me children to go to college. My husband and I both have college degrees. They are usually shocked when I answer.. no, not necessarily. I want my children to have careers that they enjoy and feel are fullfilling to their lives, provide well enough for their families etc, that doesn't always mean a high paying job. Plus, with the high cost of education, I think there are plenty of job openings in fields that don't need a college degree and pay a decent livable wage. I will never blanket tell my children to go to college.
AlyssaMarie @ Link'd Hearts Ranch
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Across the Fence: Do they still teach vocational skills in school? |
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Do they still teach vocational skills in school?
