Career Education: Off the Drawing Board

Abstract

Like pieces of handblown glass, each shaped by local artisans to fit a special niche, Career Education programs in scores of individual school districts are beginning to create a national mosaic in which fundamental precepts are clearly discernible. No two programs are exactly alike, nor should they be. No two school systems, student populations, community resources, or labor markets are exactly alike. Yet the emerging picture suggests that the basic elements of Career Education are being understood and supported in varying degrees across the country, by school personnel, some colleges and universities, and virtually all state education agencies. Thus, with many good starts as well as some shaky ones, a concept that was offered as a promising idea two years ago is fast becoming a reality. When Career Education realizes its promise, it will change the lives of millions of children and young people now in school, plus a great many adults who elect to upgrade or change their career skills in mid-life. To accomplish its objective, Career Education must have the support of teachers and professors. Underlying Career Education is the conviction that our schools and colleges have a responsibility to students not only to teach the