Vocational High School Programs an Option for Teens

For teens who desire a unique learning experience, a vocational high school program may be a good fit.

In vocational high school programs -- which are also known as career and technical education programs -- students study a skill or trade, such as engineering or plumbing, in addition to completing academic core requirements.

Career and technical education programs can prepare a teen for a job directly out of high school, but these programs are seeing declining enrollment and the quality of programs varies.

Once considered by some as a dumping ground for underachieving students, vocational programs at some public high schools offer many more opportunities than those of yesteryear.

"Nowadays it is completely different," says Kim Curry, dean of admissions at Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. "The kids are fighting tooth and nail to come here."

The interest in career-tech in Massachusetts is not unique to Monty Tech, as it is known. At least 3,500 students have been placed on waiting lists for entrance into public vocational schools in Massachusetts in the past two years, according to a survey conducted by the Northeastern University School of Law, The Boston Globe reported.

Curry says that students are attracted to her school, and vocational schools in general, because they can leave school with a career.

[Learn more about the return of vocational high schools.]

Although it is a public school, students in Curry's district must apply to attend Monty Tech. Applicants are considered based on a combination of factors, including their grades, attendance records and even an interview.

Once at the school, they can choose from more than a dozen vocational programs, including automotive technology, cosmetology, dental assisting, engineering technology, graphic communications and masonry.

Last year more than 700 students applied for about 350 spots, Curry says.

But parents should be aware that the quality of programs varies greatly across the nation.

"Depending on the reputation of the local career-tech school, they may be begging for students," says James Stone, director of the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education.

Special admissions policies into a career-tech school -- if the school has one -- vary greatly as well, he says. Some schools may have an in-depth application, some may have a lottery and others may accept all students who sign up.

Not all career-tech programs are offered at stand-alone vocational high schools either, he says. Some traditional high schools offer an extensive array of career and technical education programs. And in some districts, students from traditional high schools attend a career-tech center or community college for a portion of the day to receive career-tech education.

But nationwide, enrollments in career-tech programs are declining, Stone says, at a time when demand is increasing.

A lack of qualified teachers, restricted school budgets, high operational costs and an increase in the number of academic core requirements students are required to complete for graduation have influenced career-tech education's enrollment decline.

"There's less room for electives and career and technical education is an elective," he says.

In New Castle County in Delaware, enrollment decline in vocational-focused high schools is not an issue.

"Employers hire our kids. Our students get into two- and four-year colleges. They are successful," says Kathy Demarest, spokeswoman for the New Castle County Vocational Technical School District.

[Decide if a STEM High School Is Right for Your Child.]

About one-third of the eighth grade students in public schools in the county apply to attend one of four vocational high schools in the district, says Demarest, who also oversees the admissions process in the district. About 80 percent receive a spot.

Demarest says that parents should consider a career and tech pathway for their child because if the child has a particular interest in a career field, it will give them an advantage upon graduation.

"They not only get the work-based experience, they get the soft skills training for employability," she says.

Stone, of the NRCCTE, says that not all kids can excel in a traditional school environment, and that career-tech high school programs can provide them with a new way to succeed.

"You can't predict the future in terms of the labor market," he says. "But you can know your child and what really motivates them."

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Alexandra Pannoni is an education staff writer at U.S. News. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at apannoni@usnews.com.