If you have considered using Practical learning as a foundation for you or your student’s education, then I would like to suggest to you to consider an age old discipline, Vocational education.   Vocational education has been around a long time, and has played an important role in providing skilled labor across the country for years.  As far back as 1862 with the enacting of the two Morrill Acts, the U. S. has always known the importance of this type of learning. While there was a period when it was associated with negative criticism, declining support, and a reduction in enrollment, it now appears that this trend is reversing.  This is partly due to a change in the basic curriculum.  The  updated version of vocational education, called career and technical education, has been modified to include a requirement that students be versed in the basic academic skills. This is  something that was not as important in the old version.  Here are some more reasons you should consider vocational education as a way to implement a practical learning experience for your student:

• The new technical education programs no longer have the negative stigma of the past. Programs now include subjects like robotics, computer networking, and veterinary medicine.
• Manufacturers are in need of newly high skilled workers.  Due to this manufacturers are partnering with high schools and community colleges to provide the training needed to develop these skilled workers.
• The need for some college education and/or advanced training for many technical jobs are growing. This means these programs at the high school level are requiring students to master the basic academic skills to be successful in advanced technical educational programs.
• Some statistics show that vocational education is a good investment.  For every dollar a student spends on vocational education it is returned to them about 18 times.
• The baby boom generation will be entering retirement soon.  This means that the demand should increase for highly skilled technical jobs taught through vocational education programs.
• The opportunity to participate in hands on vocational programs in high school provides an incentive for students to do well in the traditional courses.  It allows the student to make the connection between the two paths with the idea that you need one to do the other.  This may be a way to motivate an unmotivated student to work hard in school.

Want more proof?  I saw a story recently online about a company in Illinois that provides skilled labor to manufacturing companies.  One of the studies used in the story was by the Chicago Center for Labor and Community Research. In a report done in 2008, they stated that 1800 new skilled labor jobs were needed each year in the area, but existing programs in the area only produce about 500 people to fill those jobs. Imagine this projected nationwide.   Now if that’s not an indication of the importance of practical vocational education for our student’s then what is?