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Show 7 2 Sun Advocate, Price, Utah Friday, May 27, 1983 a coneirasafcioini Frank J. wofclh with the district providing the common core of the program during the last two years of high school and CEU providing the technical part of the training in the two years the students are at CEU. Studies conducted to determine the kind of training needed to provide technicians in high technology indicate that there needs to be a common core of science, math, physics, communication, social skills and a base of technical skills taught to all students who wish to enter one of the high technology fields. Then a few specific Q Q Q Worthen Carbon School District Assistant Superintendent According to the National Commission on Excellence in students have migrated from vocational and college preparatory programs to general track courses in large numbers. Is this true for Carbon County students? Please explain. In Carbon School District, as in most of the schools in Utah, the trend is toward more vocational and college prep Education, programs, rather than to general education courses. see more specific vocational goal setting by students than has been true in the past. Students have never been more serious about planning their future and preparing for careers by developing saleable vocational skills which aid them in obtaining entry into their We chosen vocations. It is refreshing to watch the change which has taken place in the last few years. Students attitudes generally, have changed from the get by as easy as possible attitude to an attitude of planning future goals and then going ahead full steam to accomplish those goals. This goal orientation has come about partly because of the career planning which is initiated in the seventh grade. It includes an individual educational plan developed with the student, parents, and a school representative. Utah schools have moved out ahead of the rest of the nation in this career planning move. There were no recommendations in this report by the commission concerning vocational educational upgrading. What specific areas do Carbon schools lack in vocational education? What are the strong areas? The commissions silence on upgrading vocational education is an indication of the lack of support vocational education gets among leading educators of higher education. It does not mean, however, that there is less attention given or needed to assure quality vocational education than is needed to assure quality education per se. We have quality programs in vocational education here in Carbon. Following are some of the courses in the special education vocational we are especially proud of: carpentry, drafting, health occupations, business occupations, graphic arts, ornamental horticulture, home ec., gainful service occupations programs and retail trade. addition to the above programs, we contract with CEU to provide the following cosmetology, machine shop, electronics, auto mechanics, mine orientation and miningelec-trica- l. welding, are These good programs, being made better each year. There are some gaps in vocational education in Carbon School District. Most noticeable is the lack of programs to train students in the high technology occupations, such as computers, micro-electronic- in- s, strumentation and control, robotics and lasers. One other noticeable gap is in the building construction trades. With the exception of carpentry, neither Carbon District nor CEU provides any training in building construction. CEU is currently at developing looking County School the d necessity of having both craftsmen and academicians. It is important to have well prepared plumbers as well as prepared our philosophers or neither well-traine- well-school- In programs: The Carbon District recognizes some programs in the building trades area. What is the extent of the commitment to vocational education in the Carbon School District? Carbon School District is fully committed to the best available education for all students. This requires that all that is possible be done to provide quality education for those students interested in careers that require less than a B.S. degree as well as providing quality education for those students pursuing careers in professions that require B.S. or higher degrees. ed plumbing or our philosophy will hold water. In light of its commitment to education for all the district provides a students, comprehensive program of The vocational education. program starts with career awareness in the elementary schools through such programs as the World of Work and quality Looking Out the Window, which help students to become aware of the importance of work, and help them to learn that all work is honorable. Mini and Maxi Societies helps them gain an appreciation for the fact that all types of workers are important in their lives. This awareness program is followed up in the junior high school with our career ex- ploration programs. These are hands on programs which allow students to gain experience in many areas. Here in the junior high programs, students begin to know their abilities, aptitudes and skills as they relate to careers. This exploration phase continues through the 10th grade. By the time the student finishes a career exploration class as a sophomore, heshe will have chosen a career goal around which their high school course of study is planned. - During the 11th and 12th grade years, the students receive specific training for the vocation they have chosen which will prepare them with job entry skills or with the adequate background for additional training toward their vocational goal. How important is vocational education in the public school system? Its very important. Studies show that 70 percent of the jobs available now and during the next quarter century are, and will be, jobs which require less than a B.S. degree. These are jobs for which vocational education is essential. The number of high school students who intend to go to work directly out of high school has almost doubled in the past 11 years from 12 percent of the students to 20 percent. These students need skill training to obtain good jobs; therefore, a strong high school vocational program must be provided to develop effective, productive citizens. Job Service projected that there were in 1981, 45,900 vocational-typ- e jobs available. There were only 17,473 high school and post secondary students who completed vocational programs. Even though the total number of vocational completers has grown greatly over the past several years, vocational completers as a ratio to the higher paying, more demanding levels of employment. Most of our programs on the high school level are designed to include some post secondary schooling. We feel a student is successful in their training program if they are well prepared to continue schooling for higher skill level jobs. The three hour block courses taught for use at CEU will, if the student masters the training, provide the student with employable skills without further training. During their schooling period, we feel students will have developed good work habits, and relationships which will aid them to be successful in their jobs. Vocational education is that education which prepares a person to enter into and succeed attitudes or occupation, other than those for which a baccalaureate degree is required. Vocational education provides in a chosen vocation craftsmen, mechanics, secretaries, technicians, office personnel, medical assistants, food service personnel, sales personnel, etc., with the specific skills, technical and general, and attitudes necessary to secure a job and to succeed on that job. What are the most popular actually declined. This and least popular vocational demonstrates a tremendous education programs offered in need for vocational education. the district? Over' the years, the most vocational programs , What type of students seek "popular vocational training rather than for boys have been the welding and drafting programs. The college preparatory courses? A response to this question is business education classes to is make. difficult There remain very fairly popular. With the no clear distinction between addition of word processing students who elect vocational utilizing computers, the education courses as compared popularity of these classes are to those who choose college improving. preparatory courses. We find Popularity of programs students from all academic, changes with job opportunities. racial, religious backgrounds The service and retail trade and social economic levels programs are fairly popular at vocational job openings have in vocational education. The make up of the students enrolled in vocational courses, as well as in college prep courses, is based entirely on the students career goal. More students in the past few years have chosen careers which can be prepared for in vocational programs. enrolled How employable is a student who successfully completes a vocational education program? Most of the students enrolled in vocational courses in the secondary school level will, upon completion of the total program, have saleable skills in their occupations which will make them employable at the job entry level. More schooling is required for the present time. Auto mechanics remains a popular program for men even when there is a scarcity - of job openings in that occupation. At the present time, careers that involve high technology are the ones with the highest request for enrollment. Mining occupations have been very popular, but are losing some of their popularity now. When programs lose their popularity, they are eliminated. Thus, there are no really unpopular programs. What, if any, courses would you like to see added to the districts vocational education lineup? Why? I feel the school district and CEU need to develop a 2 plus 2 program in high technology technology field will be needed to fully prepare the student for good employment in high technology careers. The district could provide the core of science, math, physics, and social also part of the technical skills; graphics, materials handling, etc., in the 11th and 12th grades. CEU would need to provide the rest of the technical skill training and the five or six specific courses for the particular high tech field desired. I would like to see more of the building construction crafts taught such as masonry, plumbing, wiring and sheet rocking. If some of these programs were implemented in the Carbon area, we could provide more skilled craftsmen communication, skills, needed in this field. How involved is the state in vocational education? What part, if any, does the state play in regulating or instituting certain programs? The state is involved in the funding of vocational education. Funds are generated on an addon basis. That is, for each student enrolled in vocational education programs, the district receives additional portions of the WPU (Weighted Pupil Unit) to pay for the additional costs of providing faculties, equipment, and lower class size for vocational programs. Does the vocational education programs get equal billing of importance as do academic programs? Why or why not? In a recent survey conducted by the Salt Lake Tribune, a representative of sample Utahns were asked the following question: Thinking of education, would you say a (college education) - (trade school education) is more or less important today than it was 15 years ago? Ninety-seve- n percent of the respondents stated that they felt a trade school education was more important today. In spite of this showing, vocational education has an image problem. There are still people who feel that people who select an occupation which requires less than a bac- calaureate degree are somewhat second class. Some teachers and counselors still feel that way, also. There has been a change in peoples vocational toward feelings education in the past several years. There is a need for local boards of education and the State Board of Vocational Education to assure an on going program to improve the image of vocational education. The State Board of Education has appointed an Associate Superintendent for Vocational Education to give vocational education more visibility and stature. Price Sue Advc CAPRI'S Castle Rock Square, Price 2nd Annual Pouaaitt IHIoamm Fresh Cake or Raised Donuts Plain Glazed Sugared Offer Good Until Noon Sunday per dozen Limit 1 Dozen Per customer School's Out PARTY Friday, May 27 11 a.m. to 11 8 TOKENS for p.m. 4.00 19S3 Sun Progress, Inc. AH rights reserved. All property of Sun Progress, Inc. No part hereof may be reproduced without prior written consent. Sun Advocate USPS 5263-800- Published Every Wednesday and Inc., Friday by the 76 W. 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