Career Education: Implications for Minorities.

Overview & Synopsis

In general, minorities, especially blacks, approach career education warily, fearing it might turn out to be a new name for an old game. Statistics indicate the minority dilemma; for example, unemployment among minorities 16 and older is nearly twice the white unemployment rate. A number of critical questions about career education as related to minorities need to be answered. Some of the basic issues leading to minority skepticism toward career education follow. Career education is sometimes equated with a discredited vocationalism, and vocational education has done little to bring about economic parity. Career education should be integrated into the curriculum. It should help break down job discrimination based on race or sex and should not be a deterrent to the gains by blacks in higher education. Another issue relates to the role of the schools in teaching basic skills necessary to qualify for a job or career. Career education should also allow for the development of ethnic awareness. The question is: Is career education the direction that will lead to educational and economic parity with the majority? If, however, career education becomes a way to maintain discrimination through the tracking of minority students, the result will be to further alienate the minorities from the educational system. (LMS)