Career Education: Retrospect and Prospect. Distinguished Lecture Series No. 3.

Overview & Synopsis

The harmonizing of occupational development with academic learning is not a passing fad. A primary aim of early 17th-18th century colleges was to supply regions with knowledgeable professional workers. The functional role of education continued to remain strong, as evidenced by the Morrill Act in 1862. The Smith-Hughes Act (1916), however, was an instrument of divisiveness separating the academic and vocational. The Vocational Education Act of 1963 gave new impetus toward reconciling general and vocational education . Its amendments provided many of the major dimensions for career education as did the Educational Amendments of 1972 and 1974. The College Board has responded to evolving laws and practices by providing and offering new dimensions of testing. Currently, the College Board is conducting a study that will include a listing of existing effective career education linkage systems in States, an identification and analysis of the most critical linkage areas, models of career education delivery systems, successful implementation approaches, and legislative recommendations. In conclusion, the career education movement needs liberal arts defenders and vocational/occupational development specialists; the labor/business/ industry community; Federal leadership; and the leadership of teachers, professors, and students. (EA)