OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION BEYOND THE HIGH SCHOOL IN OKLAHOMA, AN ANALYTICAL STUDY WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A STATEWIDE SYSTEM FOR MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT.

Overview & Synopsis

MAJOR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF A STATEWIDE STUDY OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS WHO HAVE LEFT HIGH SCHOOL AND NEED OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION AND SUGGESTIONS FOR A MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM ARE PRESENTED. INFORMATION WAS DERIVED FROM AVAILABLE DATA, CONFERENCES WITH INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL, STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRES, AND A GRADUATE FOLLOWUP STUDY. SOME OF THE MAJOR FINDINGS WERE--(1) THE STATE HAS, IN EFFECT, A TWO-LEVEL SYSTEM OF EDUCATION, HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE, WHILE THE OCCUPATIONAL STRUCTURE REQUIRES PERSONS WITH AN INTERMEDIATE LEVEL OF EDUCATION, (2) MAJOR POPULATION AREAS DO NOT HAVE ADEQUATE TECHNICAL EDUCATION SERVICES, (3) THE STATE IS NOT KEEPING PACE WITH THE NATIONAL MOVEMENT TOWARD OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL, (4) SCHOOLS ARE NOT PRODUCING THE KINDS AND NUMBERS OF TECHNICAL PERSONNEL NEEDED TO MEET THE FUTURE STATE MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS, (5) OKLAHOMA INDUSTRIES ARE NOT EMPLOYING AVAILABLE GRADUATES OF OKLAHOMA TECHNICAL SCHOOLS, AND (6) BUSINESS, OFFICE, DISTRIBUTIVE, AND PARAMEDICAL PROGRAMS AT THE ASSOCIATE DEGREE LEVEL HAVE NOT BEEN DEVELOPED. PRIORITY NEEDS IN DEVELOPING A STATE SYSTEM OF OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION WERE--STATEWIDE PLANNING, SEPARATE FUNDING, VERTICAL STRUCTURE OF OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION, AND A SYSTEM OF MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT, TO INCLUDE MANPOWER RESEARCH, INDUSTRIAL PLANNING SERVICES, AND OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION. TRENDS IN OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION, THE PRESENT OCCUPATIONAL SYSTEM AND OCCUPATIONAL PROGRAMS, COSTS AND RETURNS OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION, GRADUATE MOBILITY, EMPLOYMENT PATTERNS, AND THOSE BEST SERVED BY OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL ARE DISCUSSED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND RESEARCH INFORMATION ARE INCLUDED. (MM)