Workforce Education: Issues for the New Century

This book documents the many changes undergone by vocational education and training (VET), or workforce education, in the United States of America (USA) during the past decade. The contributions from various authors are organised into five thematic chapters: Background chapters on the historical, philosophical, and legislative foundations of workforce education; career and vocational development theory and practice; current issues of concern in program areas; special topics on teacher preparation, curriculum, gender, special populations, and Canadian VET; and, research concerns and speculations on the future of the field. The book contains the following papers: Vocational education: past, present and future / Cheryl L. Hogg; A philosophic view for seeing the past of vocational education and envisioning the future of workforce education: pragmatism revisited / Melvin D. Miller and James A. Gregson; Legislative review of workforce education / Michelle Sarkees-Wircenski and Jerry L. Wircenski; Career education: basic concepts and current status / Kenneth B. Hoyt and Pat Nellor Wickwire; Career education: the foundation for school to work / J. D. Hoye and Harry Drier; Overview of career development theory / Stanley H. Cramer; Elementary- and middle-level career-development issues / Conrad F. Toepfer; High school career development issues / Cheryl L. Hogg; Career development for all / Rich Feller and Timothy Gray Davies; The Tech Prep Associate Degree program / John D. Craig; Issues in technology education related to the evolution of the field / Karen F. Zuga and Phillip L. Cardon; High school vocational education: facing an uncertain future / Kenneth Gray; Postsecondary workforce education / Richard A. Walter and Edgar I. Farmer; Reclaiming a lost legacy: integration of academic and vocational education / Debra D. Bragg; Vocational teacher education / Curtis R. Finch; Curriculum issues / David J. Pucel; Gender equity in workforce education / Susan J. Olson; A Canadian perspective on vocational education and training / John Gradwell; Trends and issues in workforce education for special populations / Lynda L. West and Arden Boyer-Stephens; Research priorities and needs in vocational education / Martin B. Parks and Ross E. Moreton; Future perspectives in vocational education / William Blank; The transition from school to careers / Albert J. Pautler.