Vocational Education and Women.

Overview & Synopsis

The increasing popularity of vocational education has helped to prepare both men and women in learning the skills of different trades. However, women's position in learning better trade skills has been hindered by institutional barriers in vocational education training for technical jobs, the trades, and industry. Few studies have been made pertaining to the roles and needs of women in vocational education. Barriers confronting women seeking vocational education include: admission to vocational education courses, which often separates programs and courses by sex in high schools and, in postsecondary programs, the lack of publicity about vocational education programs for adult women; enrollment in postsecondary education programs, hindered for many women by the problems of school location and child care; instruction methods, which tend to produce female stereotypes and where women are barely represented in the administrative levels; and the lack of counseling for women in curriculum and career choices. Improvements in job training for women and guarantees of equity in vocational education should focus on the following areas: Federal laws; Federal, State, and local educational policies and practices; and research and development. An outline of the Vocational Education Amendment of 1968 and 83 notes and references are appended. (EC)