Labor Force-Related Outcomes, Education-Related Outcomes, and Public Acceptance of Vocational Education.

Overview & Synopsis

Several small group discussion sessions were convened to account for the fact that public support of vocational education continues to be strong, despite the fact that the outcomes of vocational studies that have been measured show only modest effects for some people in some programs. The panelists concluded that there are six types of outcomes for vocational education: individual labor market-related and education-related outcomes, institutional labor market-related and education-related outcomes; and societal labor market-related and education-related outcomes. While research on the outcomes of vocational education usually looks at only one or two of these six outcomes, the public apparently considers outcomes in all of the six areas and performs a rough sum of the benefits of vocational education. This broader evaluation of the outcomes of vocational education leads the public to desire more vocational education. Based on this realization, the panelists proposed a number of recommendations concerning future research and legislation dealing with vocational education. Included among these were calls for more research focusing on multiple outcomes and on the interrelationship of labor market- and education-related outcomes. Also, there were calls for federal legislation to emphasize outcomes that affect society as a whole, such as equity and productivity, rather than individual or institutional outcomes. (MN)