Seamless Education: Why a System for Transfer in Occupational Education? Briefing Paper No. 1, Spring 1994.

Overview & Synopsis

The concept of a "seamless education" has taken hold of the public imagination in recent years. Changes in the way society views higher education and what it expects from education are forcing colleges to reconsider the way learning is structured and credentials are awarded. Likewise, the importance of education as preparation for work, in particular for the high performance jobs of the future, has taken on new significance as the nation focuses on regaining its global competitiveness. Four national trends identified in the literature summarize the forces of change that underlie the need to examine seamless education and to make it a reality in postsecondary vocational-technical education. The trends are as follows: (1) higher education as a right and a requirement for all and a necessity for the quality of life for individuals and the country; (2) institutional accountability to the public; (3) educational access and social equality, with more "nontraditional" college students; and (4) global competitiveness and work force preparation--leading to integration of academic education and progression from associate degrees to Bachelor's degrees. (KC)