| Everybody's good at something. Each of us has a skill | | | | employers want. |
| and/or interest that floats our boat -- a "trump card" if | | | | Vocational education centers are "schools of choice." |
| you will. What is YOUR trump card? Is it math, science, | | | | That is, students choose to attend the center that |
| language arts, or music? Your trump card could be | | | | focuses on a specific work-related specialty. More |
| painting, singing, solving problems, building a house, tuning | | | | importantly, they choose course work that matches |
| a car, or styling hair. | | | | their skills and interests. They choose to learn more |
| Your primary temperament has a lot to do with what | | | | about the type of work they'd like to do to jump-start |
| you're good at doing. After surveying thousands of | | | | their "life after school" career. |
| Blues, Golds, Greens, and Oranges, here's what they | | | | Most vocational school schedules devote about |
| report they are good at doing: | | | | two-thirds of the students' day to specific hands-on |
| - Blues enjoy tasks that allow them to concentrate on | | | | experiences and applied theory. That's about 1600 |
| people and relationships. They're drawn towards | | | | hours in two school years. Follow-up surveys tell us |
| occupations that focus on service and the health and | | | | the thing high school and adult students liked best |
| welfare of other people. They work best in warm, | | | | about their career education was "getting to do work I |
| supportive, harmonious environments where workers | | | | liked to do." That's why vocational education works! |
| are free to cooperate and communicate with each | | | | Voc-Ed works for students of every level and interest. |
| other. | | | | From the valedictorian to students "lost" in |
| - Golds prefer jobs that allow them to be thorough, | | | | comprehensive studies, learning a saleable skill makes |
| accurate, and systematic. They prefer to work in | | | | sense. For students with special needs, vocational |
| situations where they can see a job through to the | | | | education can be a least restrictive path. Actually, I |
| end, and then touch and feel the results. They're | | | | prefer "most opportunistic path." |
| practical, efficient, and cooperative workers that | | | | The student at vocational schools is the customer. The |
| respect authority, discipline, and punctuality. They want | | | | mind-set of administrators', counselors', and teachers' is |
| to work in environments that are traditional, structured, | | | | to make school the most inviting place in town. Their |
| orderly, and filled with other hard-working people. | | | | mission is to help every student be successful. |
| - Greens are driven towards work that involves an | | | | Cooperative learning works. Working together works. |
| analytical and creative focus. They're visionary and | | | | Apprenticeships work. |
| independent workers who can tune out the world as | | | | Matching your likes, skills, needs, and goals is proof |
| they work on things that capture their interest. They're | | | | positive. Job placement rates are high: about 94 |
| most productive when they can perfect an idea, then | | | | percent. Average daily attendance rates run about 92 |
| move on and leave the project to be maintained and | | | | percent. Incidence of inappropriate behavior is low: |
| supported by others. | | | | fewer than 10 percent of students ever see their |
| - Oranges tackle their work with enthusiasm so they | | | | school's disciplinarian. |
| can quickly move on to other pursuits. They're great at | | | | While these two-year statistics are encouraging, also |
| working under pressure and prefer to work on jobs | | | | consider that, compared with graduates of a |
| that are lively, risky, and unpredictable. They grow | | | | comprehensive high school course of study, graduates |
| restless with jobs that tie them down and limit their | | | | of vocational schools are the first to be employed, |
| personal freedom. They're straightforward, realistic, and | | | | earn promotions more quickly, make more money, are |
| practical workers who bring flair, energy, and | | | | less likely to be laid off, and more likely to become |
| excitement to the workplace. | | | | entrepreneurs. |
| So how do people learn to do what they are good at | | | | If they choose to pursue post high school education at |
| doing? | | | | a two or four-year college, vocational graduates are |
| In the work place, in classrooms, in training, it's not what | | | | less likely to change majors. And, compared to their |
| we choose to do or take -- it's how well we do and | | | | comprehensive studies counterparts, they are more |
| how much we like what we do. Because we are | | | | likely to graduate on schedule. |
| more effective, more productive when we're allowed | | | | Why? Vocational students make choices that (for |
| to "play our trump cards." | | | | them) make sense. They utilize skills that enhance |
| The fact that everybody is good at something is why | | | | self-concept and confidence. Their paths are similar to |
| vocational education (a.k.a. career education) works. | | | | college students who choose dentistry, engineering, |
| Skill follows interest. Most high school career centers | | | | law, or nursing -- delayed vocational education -- |
| and adult technology centers that provide vocational | | | | except that vocational students get a head start, |
| education, offer two years of hands-on, real work | | | | usually in the 11th or 12th grade. |
| experiences to teach their students the skills | | | | |