Technical education

Technical education, also called vocational education, career education, or career and technical education (CTE), is a type of education that focuses on teaching skilled trades, technology, applied sciences, and the like to prepare students for a vocation or work in a specialized field. Technical education includes a mix of academic and career-oriented courses. It allows students to gain real-world work experience before entering the workforce. Technical education courses are generally offered at the middle school and high school levels. Students may pursue technical education programs at community colleges and other postsecondary institutions.

Brief History

Education was an important foundation of the early United States. Schools taught reading, writing, and math to prepare future leaders. As time passed, the need for technical education emerged. To supplement what children learned in schools, skilled laborers began to provide real-world workforce training in certain skills and trades. They offered apprenticeships, in which students—usually poor children or teenage boys—went to live with a tradesperson called a master. The master provided food, clothing, and shelter; instruction in reading and writing; and introduction to a trade. Many apprenticeships were nothing more than cheap labor; masters sometimes used young children to watch livestock or perform other mindless tasks. However, some people learned valuable skills as apprentices, which enabled them to master a trade and enter the workforce.

In the early nineteenth century, as workers with certain skills were needed, several schools that specialized in hands-on trade training were established throughout the United States to meet this need. These manual labor schools were the beginnings of technical education. They provided students with academic training and skills in agriculture, mechanics, business, and other industries to prepare them for jobs. Soon factories and shops began to offer educational opportunities for students in exchange for labor. In the mid-nineteenth century, women were offered educational opportunities at schools that provided them with academic instruction and training in domestic work and home economics.

The manual labor schools, which later became known as trade schools, remained popular throughout the early twentieth century. The schools attracted poor students who hoped to learn a trade to be able to support themselves financially, but soon, students of all socioeconomic statuses entered these schools. While many educated people entered the workforce, not enough of them had the needed industrial skills. Apprenticeship programs in the form of night schools that combined study with hands-on training emerged. As the need for skilled laborers continued to increase, the idea of introducing technical training in the form of instruction in agriculture, trades, industries, and home economics at the high school level was discussed. In 1917, the US Congress enacted the first vocational education bill. Additional bills followed to expand the reach of technical education through funding and programs.

In the years that followed, technical education expanded to include not only students but also adults who wanted technical training. Technical training became important during World War II when skills were required for defense purposes. Other industries, such as the retail industry, began to offer work experience programs in which students attended school during the day and then worked in shops for a few hours each night. Soon, high schools began to offer vocational study, in which a student received academic training for part of the day and then instruction in a specific industry, such as culinary arts, masonry, or automotive repair, for the rest of the day. This helped to prepare younger people to enter the workforce directly after high school.

Topic Today

Technical education remains an important part of education in the twenty-first century. Some people attach a stigma to technical education because they think it is a lower-quality education than traditional schooling. People assume that students who pursue this type of education do not want to further their education or attend college after high school. Despite these stereotypes, technical education remains a popular choice for many students. Not every student is destined to excel at math, science, literature, or other traditional school subjects. Some students learn by doing instead of listening. This is why technical education is important. Technical education allows individuals to learn by performing work instead of sitting in a traditional classroom.

Technical education is taught at the middle school, high school, and postsecondary levels. During middle school or high school, students may attend one school for academics and another separate technical institute for the rest of the day. Some schools may provide both academic and technical training in one location. Many public schools receive federal funding to support technical education programs.

Technical instruction has expanded over time to include not only trade skills but also applied science and technology courses for career preparation. It blends academics with hands-on experience in the form of internships, job shadowing, and real-world employment training. Some technical schools offer certification programs. The following are some of the fields students can pursue at technical schools:

• agriculture
• architecture
• culinary arts
• construction
• cosmetology
• electrical contracting
• engineering
• fashion design
• filmmaking
• finance
• forestry
• healthcare
• mechanics
• plumbing
• robotics
• veterinary medicine

Some students can choose to take technical education classes during middle school or high school and then enter the workforce or further their education. Others, including those who may not have had the opportunity to take these types of classes during high school, may enter technical colleges after graduation. While many students choose to enter college after high school, some do not have the funds to pay for the high costs associated with colleges and universities and instead opt to pursue technical education.

The Great Recession, the economic downturn of the global economy at the end of the first decade of the 2000s, caused the job market to deteriorate and the costs of colleges and universities to spike. Many high school graduates found technical schools that offered one- or two-year technical certificates more attractive than colleges that required four or more years to attain a degree. In addition, many adults who were laid off during the recession chose to attend technical schools to further their employment training or obtain certifications in new fields. Other people used technical education to expand their skills for career advancement. Technical training programs took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic of the early 2020s, as many students were unable to attend their technical classes due to restrictions on in-person learning. Still, into the mid-2020s, technical education had become increasingly important, as many industries looked to technical schools to fill their job openings.

In addition, the US economy is changing. For example, the manufacturing and healthcare sectors are seeing continued growth and modernization. Both have a shortage of skilled individuals to perform in the fields. Individuals can attain training in these fields and others—typically in less time and for less money—by attending technical schools instead of colleges or universities. Technical education also has the ability to more quickly adapt to changes in the workplace. For example, many technical education programs have added courses on sustainability and green technologies.

Bibliography

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“Improve Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to Meet Skills and Labour Mismatch.” World Bank Group, 12 July 2023, www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2023/07/12/improve-technical-vocational-education-training-tvet-meet-skills-labour-mismatch. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.

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