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Remember John Travolta dancing over the hoods of hot rods during shop class in the movie "Grease"? Or his female classmate accidentally tinting her own hair pink after an assignment in her cosmetology class went bad? This is how most people remember vocational education classes - full of students headed for entry-level jobs after high school, while their bookish counterparts took challenging academic courses to prepare for higher education. But like poodle skirts and greaser jackets, those days are gone for vocational education. Today, students hoping to train for careers they can start after high school work side by side with classmates planning to start college right away. The career training courses are rigorous, covering everything from specialized skills to teamwork to interview skills. And many classes, whether they are through district career academies, special single-school programs or California's Regional Occupational Programs and Centers (ROP) require students to complete an internship, giving them valuable hands-on experience for their resume. Graduates of some programs can expect to start earning $75,000 salaries in short order without any college under their belts. Even the traditional moniker for vocational education has changed - it's now referred to as career technical education. "Vocational (education) has that ring of the old high school shop class," says Lynne Porter, assistant superintendent of educational services for North Orange County ROP, which has locations throughout Brea Olinda, Anaheim Union High School, Fullerton Joint, Los Alamitos and Placentia-Yorba Linda school districts. "We're really way beyond that. The old shop classes, you went in and made little bookends and that kind of thing. We prepare students in careers that range from, yes, auto technology, which is a very high-end field, to technology, web site design, health occupations, like vocational nurse, home health aides, telemetry technicians. We have classes in hospitality and tourism and business marketing. The range of career technical education has expanded to reflect new and emerging careers in high-demand areas." Get a "real life" Career education courses also have another powerful edge - they give students a clear understanding of how academic concepts apply to "real life." For struggling students, that often makes all the difference. "One of things we provide students with is the reason for studying hard, with an interesting application to their theoretical classes," says Diana Schneider, senior director of Central County ROP, which serves Garden Grove, Orange and Santa Ana school districts. "Many students ask, `Why am I taking algebra or history?' They need a reason, they need something concrete. We are the place where they see where the theory comes out in the real world. We've had kids change their mind about quitting high school or going to college because of an ROP class. ROP might be a place to wake (students) up if they're just coasting, or if they're underachievers because they don't see the point of all this. It's something that gets them excited enough to apply themselves. I think we're the only place where you can really see how it's going to pay off." Increasingly, ROP instructors aren't just showing how academics can pay off later. They tackle the core concepts while presenting their practical application. Especially since the California's High School Exit Exam looms large, ROP instructors are breaking down state standards and making sure to address them head on. "We've always had academics in classes," Porter says. "In any of the trade areas, physics, trigonometry and geometry are very important. But they're disguised so kids don't know they're learning it. And of course they do technical reading, which is incredibly difficult. We are more and more notching it up a little." Cutbacks remain a threat Yet, even as schools find increased popularity in career-pathway programs, talk at the state level has turned to scaling back career education funding in favor of more remedial academic classes to prepare students for higher education. Porter says there has been an outcry in the career training arena to stop that movement. "It's not that we don't want them to have academics, but don't throw out career technical classes to stuff the plate with more remedial classes," she says. "Let's look for other ways to satisfy these kids' learning needs. I'd venture to say you'll learn more geometry in a construction trades or computer-assisted design class if you're not doing well in geometry than by repeating geometry five times." The danger to career education lies in stereotyping the students in these courses. While they can be a great bridge for struggling students, career education programs provide many other youths with much more. Career academies or ROP classes, which are free to high schoolers, can be a great way for students to make sure they'll enjoy their chosen career before they start college. For instance, students who are considering teaching can take an ROP class to get hands-on experience in the classroom. Others interested in the medical industry will work up to interning in a hospital or dentist's office through ROP placement. "Students that want to go into nursing may have this glamorous idea of Florence Nightingale, but they get to the hospital and it doesn't smell good all the time, people are grumpy and sick and they say, `This isn't for me,'" Schneider says. Better they find that out during a free class in high school than after spending years and thousands of dollars on a medical degree, she adds. Career education also provides useful career exploration opportunities for students who aren't quite sure what they want to be when they grow up. Vital Link Orange County, a Newport Beach-based organization, has spent the past 15 years providing support services to schools and after-school programs around career awareness and preparation. The group works with districts on career education programs, such as helping students put together portfolios of their work and career skills to show potential employers. The organization also runs special workshops in which working professionals showcase various jobs in a particular industry. For instance, one workshop on arts and communications jobs profiled a director of corporate marketing managing a new campaign. Students watched a variety of scenes unfold onstage as the director worked with an advertising agency, public relations firm, printing company, website design company and the media. Later, students can talk individually with the professionals to find out more about their job. Find the unknown "We want to expose students to a variety of different jobs and careers within a specific industry so they can maybe see jobs they didn't know existed before," says Kathy Johnson, Vital Link executive director. "Most students know about jobs from their immediate family, extended family or jobs on television. Things that are obvious. But so many jobs don't fall into the category of the obvious." Obvious or not, jobs that students train for these days are cutting edge. Want to know what's happening in a particular industry? Take a look at the class lineup of your local ROP. Each ROP must meet regularly with local industry leaders to talk about job trends and evaluate their course offerings. The result is constant renewal and expansion of the ROP offerings, as well as increased numbers of graduates who have the skills local businesses are looking for. Most recently, the Orange County ROPs worked together to create the Orange County Animation Project, a distance-learning program that will let students work with animators from Pixar, DreamWorks and Disney studios on computerized animation projects. That connection to the industry and its professionals is where ROP classes gain strength - providing courses that train students for the jobs of today. From culinary arts to construction trades to medical positions, ROP students leave the classes with valuable skills and, very often, a great paying job. They also gain "soft skills" that span industry, such as working in teams, communicating effectively, problem-solving, and interview skills. Students also learn firsthand the importance of continuing education through work experience and internships. It quickly becomes clear to students in the courses that their education doesn't stop when they leave high school. These classes are the beginning point, not the ending point. Instructors focus on advanced training opportunities at technical colleges or through community college courses. They also talk about the role a college degree can play in that career, often opening students' eyes to the importance of continuing their education. Maybe not immediately, but certainly on a part-time basis as they continue in their career. In short, students get excited about what they're studying, see how additional training and education can help them earn more and go further in their career. "It can actually spur students into getting more education rather than going on to get a job because they are focused and they have an interest and this is something that is exciting them," says Johnson of Vital Link. A 2004 study by UC Riverside (see related information) found that ROP students enroll in postsecondary education at just about the same rate as all other students. A diploma with heft Whether they go on to college or not, ROP students leave high school better trained, more valuable to employers and have greater success. In general, students are also more attractive to employers since they already know the industry lingo, understand the big picture of how the business works and have a grip on workplace skills, Schneider says. Talented graduates of automotive programs can expect to go on and make six-figure salaries. Construction trades students often earn their contractors' license. One floral design student went on to purchase and run a small florist shop. "Our students are more promotable and make more money than their counterparts," Schneider says, referencing the UCR study. "The student has already figured out they like the occupation and they are less likely to quit when they get there." The need for skilled graduates has not dwindled either. Porter says about 60 percent of the job market are skilled jobs in a variety of fields, while only about 20 percent are considered "professional" jobs. "We don't have enough people to supply those jobs," she says. "What is school really for? Not for preparing kids for college. It is about preparing them for life and a career. That career may include college immediately and it may not include college immediately." She asks families to take a hard look at career technical education courses and what your child is really good at and passionate about. Because that is where they will thrive and succeed. "It's unfortunate that we've become somewhat of an elitist society with regard to what used to be called blue-collar work, and I hate the term when in fact these are highly skilled workers with many gifts. The shame is many parents, even though they themselves may work in a trade area, they want the best for their kids and I understand that, but for some parents that translates to they've got to go to college and be a doctor or lawyer or something like that. The truth is, for many kids there's another path for them. Jennifer Leuer of Yorba Linda is an education reporter. For Letters: ocfamily.com |
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