User:Aleydis Sinclaire/sandbox

A vocational school, trade school, or career school, is a school providing vocational education with students taught the skills needed to perform a particular job. Traditionally, vocational schools have not existed to further education in the area of liberal arts, but rather to teach only job-specific skills, and as such have been better considered to be institutions devoted to training, and not liberal arts education. That purely vocational focus began changing in the 1990s "toward a broader preparation that develops the academic" and technical skills of students, as well as the vocational. (Original version)

A vocational school, also called a trade school, is a higher-level learning institution that specializes in providing students with the vocational education and technical skills they need in order to perform the tasks of a particular job. Vocational schools are traditionally distinguished from 2-year junior colleges and 4-year universities by their goal to impart job-specific education to students bound for blue-collar jobs in the workforce, rather than the aim to provide academic education for students pursuing careers in white-collar fields. While many schools have adhered to this convention, the purely vocational focus of other trade schools has since begun to shift "toward a broader preparation that develops the academic" and technical skills of students following the advent of the 1990s. (Revised version)

Sources http://cte.ed.gov/faq.cfm

PROPOSED LEAD SECTION CONTENT
(Information to summarize in the lead section)

After high school, the paths of most educational systems worldwide are typically divided into "academic" and "technical" routes which higher-level learning vocational schools are a part of, though some countries may not have a "vocational" route to speak of. Vocational schools are distinguished from non-specialized post-secondary institutions in the sense that they primarily (if not exclusively) provide technical education where academic colleges primarily (if not exclusively) do not provide this. They are also divided into branches and offer careers in many different disciplines in the scope of their education. Vocational schools are known by a variety of different names internationally, which may all be used interchangeably with other words in the same related field without a clear understanding of what the terms refer to without the help of context, including the term college, which is generally used to refer to any type of institution that offers education meant to be acquired after the completion of high school. Most sovereignties use their own terminology and unique set of words or phrases to identify vocational education in their country. Vocational schools are overwhelmingly government supported, though some may be backed by private investors. The earliest age to enroll in college-level vocational education for any country is commonly regarded as the age that compulsory education is no longer required, though children may receive vocational education at an earlier time, and enroll in vocational schools as early as middle school and high school if they wish to attend special vocational academies for students at their age level. If a student has not completed high school, it is not always required that they do in order to enroll in college-level vocational schools, per the statutes of their country. Vocational schools may be ranked among a hierarchy of other specialized institutions in some countries, and some vocational schools may offer more classes and specialty areas than others. The typical term that students are required to attend to complete their education at a vocational school spans 2 years, but depending on the factors such as the country, the type of programs offered, and intensity of the field, certification terms may take longer to complete. In some cases, vocational schooling may take the place of the final years of high school in certain countries. Vocational schools may grow to become full degree-granting universities. It is speculative whether or not established universities may "devolve" into vocational schools in the same manner.

PROPOSED SECTION HEADERS
Categorization To organize, summarize, and convey trade school information based on "topic" typical to most countries rather than by "countries" whose trade schools operate in different ways. Customs unique to each country may then be referred to as features in each "topic" category, rather than sections of their own.

Summary
Vocational school budgets are furnished and subsidized by a number of different types of organizations, including government agencies, private investors, and non-profit foundations. (...who finance the school through block grants that comprise about 90% of necessary funding requirements, as they do in Ireland) The licensing of vocational schools is exclusively regulated by the government authorities of the countries in which they operate. (...like the Ministry of Education in Finland and the Education and Training Boards of Ireland). While accreditation is granted primarily by non-profit academic accrediting organizations, this process may also be conducted by government agencies to a lesser extent as well.

Once granted, licensing may regulate the policies of any aspect concerning the school, ranging from the quota and age requirement of students allowed to enroll for training, to the location of the school, as in the case for many vocational schools worldwide. (...including those of the Finnish educational system.)

Vocational schools are primarily established by the government. (...as is true in countries such as Ireland)

Vocational school funding from the government results from elaborate processes to determine what the money should be used for, who is eligible to receive funding, and other factors. Processes are further refined and regulated by statistical reports collected by government research agencies. 3 These are carried out through such measures as department reports, audit reports, national assessments, and the like. 5

Page Research
Finland: The vocational schools are usually owned by the municipalities, but in special cases, private or state vocational schools exist. The state grants aid to all vocational schools on the same basis, regardless of the owner. On the other hand, the vocational schools are not allowed to operate for profit. The Ministry of Education issues licences to provide vocational education. In the licence, the municipality or a private entity is given permission to train a yearly quota of students for specific trades. The licence also specifies the area where the school must be located and the languages used in the education. 'Ireland: Since 2013 the schools have been managed by Education and Training Boards, which replaced Vocational Education Committees which were largely based on city or county boundaries. Establishment of the schools is largely provided by the state; funding is through block grant system providing about 90% of necessary funding requirements.

Sources

North America - United States

1. www.tech-schools.us

2. http://www2.ed.gov/students/prep/college/consumerinfo/index.html%20

3. http://cte.ed.gov/resourcesandtools.cfm?&pass_dis=1

4. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs/web/95024-2.asp

5. http://cte.ed.gov/newsandarticles.cfm

6. http://cte.ed.gov/perkinsimplementation/index.cfm

7. http://cte.ed.gov/stategrants/index.cfm

8. http://cte.ed.gov/accountability/index.cfm

9. https://answers.ed.gov/link/portal/28022/28025/ArticleFolder/16/Grants-and-Funding

9. https://answers.ed.gov/link/portal/28022/28025/Article/653/Professional-and-occupational-licensing

South America - Brazil

1. http://www.mec.gov.br/

Summary
The number of students who attend vocational schools fluctuates according to many factors across time, and varies in magnitude across the years. Currently, about 47% of Finnish students aged 15 attend vocational school.

Page Research
Finland: Currently about 47 percent of Finnish students at age 15 go to vocational school. The vocational school is a secondary school for ages 16–21, and prepares the students for entering the workforce. The curriculum includes little academic general education, while the practical skills of each trade are stressed. The education is divided into eight main categories with a total of about 50 trades.

Summary
The practice of providing vocational education has dated back to the time of the Middle Ages, and continued on until the first known vocational schools were established in (year here, country). Vocational education in its earliest stages was almost exclusively given to boys, until later becoming available girls who trained to develop skills in areas traditionally considered feminine (like housekeeping), as opposed to areas typically regarded as masculine such as crafting and '.'heraldry'.' Boys who received vocational education begun to train with experienced artisans in the guilds as young as 10 years old, and worked to develop skills in trades as apprentices until they became sufficient enough to gain recognition as journeymen and ultimately master craftsmen. ...(like they did in the Netherlands) The guilds and vocational education as it prevailed were later disbanded under the influence of Napoleon. Vocational schooling in its previous form did not return until the Society for the Working Class founded one of the first modern vocational schools for the public in Amsterdam in the late 1800s.

Page Research
Netherlands: In the Middle Ages boys learned a vocation through an apprenticeship. They were usually 10 years old when they entered service, and were first called leerling (apprentice), then gezel (journeyman) and after an exam - sometimes with an example of workmanship called a meesterproef (masterpiece) - they were called meester (master craftsman). In 1795 all of the guilds in the Netherlands were disbanded by Napoleon, and with them the guild vocational schooling system. After the French occupation, in the 1820s, the need for quality education caused more and more cities to form day and evening schools for various trades. In 1854, the society Maatschappij tot verbetering van den werkenden stand (Society to improve the working class) was founded in Amsterdam, that changed its name in 1861 to the Maatschappij voor de Werkende Stand (Society for the working class). This society started the first public vocational school (De Ambachtsschool) in Amsterdam, and many cities followed. At first only for boys, later the Huishoudschool (housekeeping) was introduced as vocational schooling for girls. Housekeeping education began in 1888 with the Haagsche Kookschool in The Hague.

Summary
Requirements and criteria set forth to receive trade certification vary from institution to institution, and may also be unique to the work that a student needs to complete in order to make his or her educational qualifications, experience, and other accomplishments meet the standards indicated by the institution.

Page Research
Australia: At these colleges, students complete a modified Year 12 certificate and commence a school-based apprenticeship in a trade of their choice. In Queensland, students can also undertake Vocational Educational Training at private and public high schools instead of studying for their OP or Overall Position which is a tertiary entrance score. However these students usually undertake more limited vocational education of one day per week whereas in the trade colleges the training is longer.(Unknown country): In the province of Quebec, there are some vocational programs offered at institutions called CEGEP's (Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel), but these too may function as an introduction to university. Generally students complete two years at a CEGEP directly out of high school, and then complete three years at a university (rather than the usual four), to earn an undergraduate degree. Alternatively some CEGEP's offer vocational training, but it is more likely that vocational training will be found at institutions separate from the academic institutions, though they may still be called colleges.

Summary
Vocational schools are stratified in some parts of the world based on the rigor of the curriculum in their programs and the terms that students are required to complete before becoming eligible to earn their trade certification in a specific discipline. The typical length of time for the average term in vocational school programs lasts 2 years, though others may require 3 or more years to complete for certification in more advanced fields such as engineering and nursing. (...like the trade school requirements of "higher vocational schools" in Finland)

(Link to high school education article)

Vocational education may be accessed through programs provided alongside a school's academic curriculum, or ones that are hosted by academies tailored to the training of students at the middle-school level and the certification of students at the high-school and college level.

One example of secondary-level vocational schools are institutions called professional technical universities (PTU) among countries located throughout central and eastern Europe. PTU constitute a preliminary level of vocational education for high-schoolers to give them experience in apprenticeship, usually before moving on to higher-level institutions in the vocational industry.

Divisions
Canada: In Ontario, secondary schools were separated into three streams: Technical Schools, Commercial/Business Schools and Collegiates (the academic schools). Those schools still exist; however, the curriculum has changed that no matter which type of school one attends, they can still attend any post-secondary institution and still study a variety of subjects (either academic or practical). In Ontario, Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities have divided postsecondary education into Universities, Community Colleges and Private Career Colleges. Finland: In tertiary education, there are higher vocational schools (ammattikorkeakoulu which is translated to polytechnic or university of applied sciences), which give about 3-4 -year degrees in more involved fields, like engineering (see insinööri (amk)) or nursing.

Secondary school education
Central and Eastern Europe: PTU is usually a preparatory vocational education and is equivalent to the general education of the third degree in the former Soviet education, providing a lower level of vocational education (apprenticeship). It could be compared to a trade high school. Finland: The vocational school students are selected by the schools on the basis of criteria set by the Ministry of Education. The basic qualification for the study is completed nine-year comprehensive school. Anyone may seek admission in any vocational school regardless of their domicile. In certain trades, bad health or invalidity may be acceptable grounds for refusing admission. The students do not pay tuition and they must be provided with health care and a free daily school lunch. However, the students must pay for the books, although the tools and practice material are provided to the students for free. Australia: In Queensland, students can also undertake Vocational Educational Training at private and public high schools instead of studying for their OP or Overall Position which is a tertiary entrance score. However these students usually undertake more limited vocational education of one day per week whereas in the trade colleges the training is longer. Ireland: A vocational school in Ireland is a type of secondary education school which places a large emphasis on vocational and technical education; this led to some conflict in the 1960s when the Regional Technical College system was in development. >> Vocational schools typically have further education courses in addition to the traditional courses at secondary level. For instance, Post Leaving Certificate Courses which are intended for school leavers and pre-third level education students. United States: Florida operated 166 Career and Professional Education (CAPE) middle schools and 1,650 high school academies. They offer industry certification programs.

Sources

http://cte.ed.gov/faq.cfm

Summary
Vocational schools experience a sizable volume of student enrollment

Page Research
United States: Career colleges on the other hand are generally not government supported in any capacity, occupy periods of study less than a year, their training and certifications are rarely recognized by the larger academic world. In addition, as most career colleges are private schools; this group may be further subdivided into non-profit schools and proprietary schools, operated for the sole economic benefit of their owners. Earlier vocational schools such as California Institute of Technology[3] and Carnegie Mellon University have gone on to become full degree-granting institutions. >> As a result of the emphasis on the commercialization of education, a widespread and well-deserved for the period poor reputation for quality was retained by a great number of career colleges for over promising what the job prospects for their graduates would actually be in their field of study upon completion of their program, and for emphasizing the number of careers from which a student could choose. However, although this problem has been largely corrected in modern times due to more stringent regulation.[citation needed] Even though the popularity of career colleges has exploded in recent years, the number of government-sponsored vocational schools in the United States has decreased significantly. Ireland: Until the 1970s the vocational schools were seen as inferior to the other schools then available in Ireland. This was mainly because traditional courses such as the Leaving Certificate were not available at the schools, however this changed with the Investment in Education (1962) report which resulted in an upgrade in their status. Currently about 25% of secondary education students attend these schools.

Summary
Vocational schools can be both public and private, for-profit and non-profit, and part-time and full-time.

Page Research
Public or private. Central and Eastern Europe: There were several types of PTUs such as Middle City PTU and Rural PTU. United States: In addition, as most career colleges are private schools; this group may be further subdivided into non-profit schools and proprietary schools, operated for the sole economic benefit of their owners.From "Vocational Technical School": Though less common, some vocational-technical schools are full-time. Not only do they provide vocational and technical training, but they also provide traditional academics that students would typically receive during high school, all within one school district or building. Such schools often expose students to their academic classes during one half of the day, and to their vocational and technical classes during the other half.Most vocational-technical schools, however, are part-time. This means that they only provide vocational and technical training, while the academic portion of their education is obtained from their home school district. Students engaged in such schools often spend one half of the school year at their home school for academic classes and the other half of the school year at the vocational-technical school for training, alternatively they may go to their home school in the morning and their vocational-technical school after lunch.

Summary
Depending on the vocational school, these fields are often consolidated to comprise the departments by which the school's career training is distributed. The fields in which vocational schools train their students for technical careers include, but are not limited to:
 * Agriculture
 * Business
 * Computing
 * Construction
 * Creative
 * Culinary
 * Healthcare
 * Human Services
 * Mechanical
 * Technical

Page Research
Programs that are common to vocational-technical schools consist of those in the fields of: Agricultural, Business, Computing, Construction, Creative, Culinary,  Healthcare, Human services, Mechanical, Technical. Finland: The education is divided into eight main categories with a total of about 50 trades. The basic categories of education are: Humanist and educational branch, Cultural branch, The branch of social sciences, business and merchandise, Natural Science, Technology and traffic, The branch of natural resources and environment, The branch of social work, health care and physical exercise, The branch of travel, catering and domestic economics, security and rescue branch.