Ohio's Future at Work. Action Plan for Accelerating the Modernization of Vocational Education in Ohio.

Overview & Synopsis

In response to legislative mandate, this document contains a plan to reform vocational education and career education in Ohio to provide the state's workers with the skills they need for the future. The plan description is organized in eight sections. The first two sections report on the legislation mandating the reform and the response to the challenge. The third section describes the environmental forces and trends influencing vocational education (economic and employment forces, demographic forces, educational trends, and implications for Ohio). The following three short sections list imperatives for the future, describe vocational and career education's mission, and review the process of evolving the vision for the future. These sections are followed by a longer section describing the 11 imperatives, goals, and objectives of the action plan: broadening the scope of vocational education; improving access; emphasizing rigorous outcomes; focusing on lifelong individual needs; providing career-focused education for all students; streamlining vocational education standards, guidelines, and policies; ensuring adequate resources; accelerating professional development of vocational educators; extending vocational education's strategic alliances; enhancing the public's understanding of and support for vocational education; and constantly emphasizing improvement of the vocational education system. The final section is a short look at the next step. Appendixes review the development of the plan, list contributors, and provide a glossary. (KC)