Vocational education in the United States

About 30 percent of all credentials in teaching are provided by two-year community colleges, which also offer courses transferable to four-year universities.

[8] Federal involvement is carried out principally through the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act.

Though results have been, for the most part, inconclusive, job retraining programs have been noted to retain a positive effect on employee morale.

[10] In the early 20th century, a number of efforts were made to imitate German-style industrial education in the United States.

[11] Researchers such as Holmes Beckwith described the relationship between the apprenticeship and continuation school models in Germany and suggested variants of the system that could be applied in an American context.

This CTE (Career Technical Education) Historical Timeline illustrates the steps in the evolution: Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs provide opportunities for high school students to learn in-demand skills and provide a fast track to the work force.

Some jurisdictions are introducing CTE alternatives to standard high schools as a means of addressing student engagement and drop-out issues.

[14] CTE programs are shown to promote engagement for students who feel disconnected from traditional education models.