This book provides the reader with an overview of the evolution of career and technical education in California over the 20th century and some insight as to its strengths and weaknesses as well as the challenges it faces in the new millennium. This book delves into why career and technical education/vocational education are so important and needed in California’s public schools. Among the things it looks at are “What is vocational education?” “What are the benefits of vocational education, and in particular, to the student?” and “Why does California need vocational education?” Section one of this book discusses the historical foundation of career and technical education in California starting from the beginning of 1900 to 2000. Section two contains research on the 21st century workforce and the community college’s CTE programs and role in the economy. This book provides a forum and voice for scholars in California. It allows us to learn and understand how career and technical education was viewed at the beginning of its foundation, its curriculum, and its impact on the California labor force today. It also looks at the labor market disadvantages we are facing due to lack of proper structures in the CTE programs across the State.

Definitive Readings in the History, Philosophy, Theories and Practice of Career and Technical Education brings together definitive writings on CTE by leading figures and by contemporary thinkers in the history, philosophy, practice and theories of the field. Filling a much needed void in existing literature, this book equips scholars and practitioners with knowledge, skills, and attitudes to succeed in the field of CTE.

The book begins with the premise that workforce education is a global issue and is becoming increasingly competitive. It is important for the reader to understand the concept of work historically, as well as its meaning and implications to individuals. Understanding this history leads to better instruction, education, and training, which can solve many human performance problems in the workplace. Workforce Education, Occupational, Training, Instruction or Career Education, Voca-tional Education or Technical Education is used interchangeably throughout this book. The concept of today’s workforce development is universal. As a college professor, I believe I have an ethical obligation to promote learning, to ensure health and safety, to protect the public and private trust, and to promote the transfer of learning. A second premise of this book is that there are common issues and problems in the workplace. This book provides, in a single volume, the knowledge base common to all work settings for today’s students, regardless of their specialty. Thus, the book was designed for students to think globally and to understand how to be and what it takes to be competitive in the global economy.

The literature about postsecondary education in British Columbia has largely focused on public colleges and universities, while paying less attention to vocational colleges, apprenticeship, continuing education, and private institutions. Robert Cowin addresses that gap. He provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of the contemporary provincial postsecondary system and examines the role of social justice, human capital formation, and marketization during five significant transitions. This dynamic approach provides a thoughtful critical analysis of the development of the institutional arrangements – the distribution of institutions by size, mission, type, and location – and policies that have shaped education in the province.

This book helps both undergraduate and beginning graduate students, professors, healthcare administrators, public policy administrators, public health clinicians and administrators, and anyone preparing to enter the healthcare field and planning to improve healthcare systems. The book provides useful information for both educators and students in engaging in a productive discussion and igniting interaction in the classroom.

Rapid changes in the workplace, including progress in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, make the contribution of career and technical education more significant than ever. In the fifth edition of his foundational text, Dr. Gordon is joined by new coauthor Deanna Schultz. Continued focus on the history, philosophy, structure, and evolution of career and technical education highlights in-depth coverage on emerging trends relevant to all areas of the field. The pedagogical structure of the text presents abundant information in an accessible format. The authors’ introduction to the origins of and early leadership in CTE lays the groundwork for later discussions of representation of women and underrepresented minorities in the discipline, as well as the implications of a multigenerational workforce and global community on the way educational programs are designed for career readiness. In addition to comprehensive updates, this edition features a section exploring work-based learning, information on current legislation, and a new chapter on community and technical colleges.