Vocational Education is important because it gives us the skills and knowledge we need to do a job and when we start to think about it, there are LOTS of industry-specific jobs out there that rely on us getting a good vocational education.
Vocational education is training that equips students with practical experience and technical skills in a specific type of field and prepares learners for jobs in manual and practical activities. A learner develops expertise in specific trade areas, crafts, and careers. Craft vocational trades involve artisans, craftsmanship, welding, plumbing, medical assisting, and agriculture amongst others.
There are also high-end professions like engineering, accountancy, nursing, law, and architecture, even though these disciplines have degree programs for specialization too.
Vocational education is offered at the secondary, or post-secondary level constantly combined with an apprenticeship-like system.
Vocational Education is important for lots of reasons – to students, to industry and to the community but students definitely have the greatest stake in the quality of vocational education and training (VET).
Students often rely on VET outcomes to gain employment or career advancement. While students cannot always be expected to fully understand the complexities of the sector or what constitutes quality, they must be able to make informed choices about training that best meets their needs. Students must have confidence that no matter which provider they choose, they will receive quality training and assessment that is responsive to industry needs and to their needs.