Career and vocational education is en vogue, as Republicans who dominate Washington and most state capitols have been touting job training over the bachelor’s degree. But community college leaders say vocational training is sorely in need of an image makeover.
"It is considered a second choice, second-class," said Patricia Hsieh, president of San Diego Miramar College. "We really need to change how people see vocational and technical education."
Hsieh was speaking here Monday during the annual meeting of the American Association of Community Colleges. She and other speakers described the stigma career programs still face compared to academic paths that lead to transfer and a bachelor’s degree.
Parents and students tend to prefer that more traditional pathway and are skeptical about the work force value of vocational credentials, said community college leaders. And that skepticism often extends to many people in higher education.
Read more at Inside Higher Ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/04/25/vocational-education-surges-continues-struggle-image-and-gender-imbalance