Vocational Education Reauthorization. A Time for Redirection.

Overview & Synopsis

Although individual State Advisory Councils for Vocational Education (SACVE) will differ in their opinions as to specific changes needed in the Vocational Education Act, they share a core of basic concepts about the needs of vocational education as they relate to reauthorization. Because the SACVE believe that the basis of federal involvement in vocational education and training should be developing human resources as a capital asset to the nation, they believe that the focus of vocational education reauthorization legislation should be on the provision of education and training for the development of a skilled work force. It is critical that a single educational agency be designated as the administrative authority for vocational education, because only through a single agency can articulation and coordination be achieved. Similarly, federal administrative control and federal financial support of vocational education must be maintained in order to maintain the states' capacity to address changing economic and employment needs and to ensure that state vocational education systems can be responsive to national priorities and emergencies. Other important areas that must be addressed during the reauthorization of the Vocational Education Act are the need to restore citizen involvement in vocational education and the need to ensure the continuation of vocational student organizations. (MN)