HISTORY OF VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS

Vocational schools are training institutions designed primarily to give students practical knowledge. These schools may be said to have been patterned after the apprenticeships of yore, where an aspiring protege is taken under the wing of a master, and trained in the arts of the trade until he is ready to go out on his own. This way of teaching or imparting knowledge to a pupil kept developing until more formal trade schools, with a teacher overseeing several students (instead of a master training just one apprentice) were established.

To ensure that the quality of education (or training) these vocational institutions provide students remain high, vocational schools are usually monitored or need to be recognized by a separate governing institution. It is best to enrol in vocational schools that are recognized by these associations / institutions.

PROGRAMS AVAILABLE

In the past, vocational schools provided training for jobs such as welding, soldering, and crafts, which has given vocational schools the ‘stigma’ it used to have. However, due to the high level of competition in the work force today, vocational schools have branched out and are now providing training on a wide range of areas of expertise. There are now programs that help develop individual skills relating, and not limited to fields such as tourism, retail, cosmetics, and information technology.

Although the main thrust of vocational schools will always be to give training, most institutions now also provide a degree of formal academic education at considerably high standards, comparable to traditional schools and universities.

VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

In most cases, vocational schools provide their students with credits that are recognized by and may be applied to offset some courses in most academic institutions. In addition, students who complete their respective programs are usually awarded with certificates or vocational qualifications. Each country has a governing body that certifies these qualifications; examples of these include the NVQ (National Vocational Qualifications), SVQ (Scottish Vocational Qualifications), VCE (Vocational Certificates of Education) and Key Skills Qualifications.

If you would like to know more about vocational schools and the career opportunities that are open for those holding vocational qualifications, why not visit a career counsellor and ask to be presented with options. Alternatively, you can also call, email or visit a vocational institute in your city and ask for a prospectus for potential students.

For many years, vocational schools have always been thought of as being a place for those who are either financially or intellectually challenged; or an institution where social miscreants are sent in order to behave and possibly learn skills that could serve as an outlet for their pent up energies. However, these misconceptions are far from the truth. Vocational schools are not rehabilitation centres, these are legitimate educational institutions that, just like more traditional schools and universities, aim to prepare their students for a career; and teach them how to make a decent and honest living. Unlike universities though, the subjects taught at vocational schools veer away from liberal arts and the sciences and focus more on the practical application of skills.

The history of vocational schools may be traced back to the middle ages, where a youngster wanting to become skilled at a specific trade is taken as an apprentice of a master craftsman. He will then be taught the skills of the trade and will remain as an apprentice until he has learned enough and is ready to be on his own. The principle of vocational schools is the same. Individuals wanting to excel in a particular line of work are tutored by someone who is an expert in that field. Although lectures will be held every so often, most of the study time is spent doing hands-on projects.

In the past, vocational schools prepared individuals for careers in automotive repair, welding, construction and other jobs erroneously associated with the lower working class. This may have been the reason why most vocational schools and vocational students have this social stigma. Thankfully, due to increased competitiveness of the changing times and widening perceptions of people, this social stigma is gradually being erased. With more subjects being offered and training closely monitored by independent learning institutions, the quality of graduates churned out by vocational schools are just as equipped to have solid and respectable careers, as the graduates from colleges and universities.

It may have taken time, but vocational schools are finally gaining the respect that has long been due them

Most people believe that the only way to succeed in life is to have a degree from a recognized university and a career in the corporate world. Anything other than that could be considered as a waste. It is this belief that has led hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals down a path that may have given them a life rich in financial rewards but devoid of personal happiness and contentment.

If you have gone through all the academic prospectuses given out by name-universities and have not found a course would enhance or nurture your inborn talent, then look elsewhere because traditional universities may not be able to prepare you for the career you want to take. Consider enrolling in a vocational school. You may find the answer to your problems there.

You see, not everyone is cut out for the corporate world. Not everyone has the desire nor the inclination to crunch numbers nor dress up in power suits and negotiate mergers and acquisitions. Some people are happiest working in a non-office environment and working with their hands. They feel a natural rush when they are completing creative tasks. Individuals who prefer these kinds of jobs and thrive in this environment should not be forced to enter a field they have no interest in just because it is what other people perceive to be what society accepts. Follow your heart and prepare for a career in the field that makes you feel most alive and useful.

If, in the end, you realize that you do want to have a university degree and enter the corporate world, your vocational units can be credited to a higher learning institution thus, the time and effort you expended in vocational school would not go to waste.

Success in life is not measured by the number of university degrees you have under your belt, nor by the amount of money you make on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis. It is measured by how you have put your God-given skills and talents to good use, and how satisfied you are with a job well done.