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Paper Abstract: Argues for educational reform in U.S., emphasizing importance of increased vocational training & involvement of industry in education. Paper Introduction: INTRODUCTION This research considers the following proposition: Vocational Education As A Viable Option for the Academically Qualified (the German Approach), As Opposed to Vocational Education As A Last Resort for the Chronic Underachiever (the All-too-typical American Approach). Technical labor in the United States of the 1990s is by and large unskilled and unprepared (Business-Higher Education Forum, 1988). Most experts agree that the American economy requires "more highly educated entry workers in order for our country to remain competitive" (U.S. Department of Labor, 1988, p. 9). Unfortunately, all too many of these experts also agree that "much of our human talent is being wasted, and a growing proportion of the next generation is slipping beyond the reach of the institutions and values of Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Government, as represented by the Reagan and Bush Administrations,suffers from ideological hang-ups which dictate against any type ofmeaningful cooperation between business and government (Lawrence, 1987).Cooperation between government and business in anything from thedevelopment of a national industrial policy to the creation of meaningfuleducational reform would be viewed by these ideologues as an act which"smacked of Government-directed economic planning . Less than one-half of students completingcompulsory school requirements in the United States go on to college.Those who do not go on to college are largely left to fend for themselves.Of those who do go on to college, over one-half drop out prior to earning adegree. The United Kingdom has traditionally placed the emphasis in educationon the elite of society, who receive outstanding educational preparation.This approach, however, has led to a situation in the 199 s where Britainhas an enormous skills gap, which is causing the country to slip badly inglobal economic competition. A21. The effects of high technology on two-yearcollege programs. Kyle, R.M.J. As the complexity of the American economy,increased, the technicalrequirements of American industry increased (Sundquist, 1989). (1987). (1989). In the Silicon Valley high-technology complex south ofSan Francisco, as an example, there has been a high level of industry-education cooperation. Retooling the schools. Joint Economic Committee, U.S. (199 ).Report on the skills of the American workforce. Cambridge, MA: CambridgeCenter for Policy Alternatives, MIT. Politics and policy (5th ed.). Useem, E. Sirbu, M.A., Treitel, R., Yorz, W., & Roberts, E. In Germany, however, a well established and historically old dualsystem of education exists. German industry and education also emphasize the significance of thesocial training obtained by the country's vocational education students.Social training associated with vocational education involves learning toreport to work on time, learning to be dependable for shift work, andlearning to solve problems. (1982). Washington: Business Roundtable. The problem is not enough money, the problem isgovernment's failure to address effectively the nation's social problems,or the problem is too much political and parental interference in theschools, but the problem most certainly does not involve the teachers, northe approach of the education establishment to teaching. The rapid development of the public educationsystem began in the last-half of the nineteenth century, when the rapidindustrial development of the country began creating demands for everincreasing numbers of competently educated individuals as workers(Greenstein, 1965). 6). Meanwhile, teachersin Germany and Japan get good results. (199 ). In this early example of industry involvement in theeducation process, industry made its needs known to the politicalestablishment at the national and state levels. Department of Labor,1988, p. Those individuals who drop out of college in the United States arealso largely left adrift. (1989, March 31). Becker, G.S. 9). Business-Higher Education Forum. Location of hightechnology firms and regional economic development. R3. INTRODUCTION This research considers the following proposition: VocationalEducation As A Viable Option for the Academically Qualified (the GermanApproach), As Opposed to Vocational Education As A Last Resort for theChronic Underachiever (the All-too-typical American Approach). (1982). Required in thiscontext are (1) increased development of state and regional plans forpromoting increased industry-education cooperation, (2) an increase in thelevel of contacts between industrial organizations of a variety of typeswith a variety of educational and training needs and, educationinstitutions at the secondary and community college levels, and (3)recognition by both industry and education of a need for greater industryinvolvement in the planning process for vocational and technical educationat the secondary and community college levels (American Association ofCommunity and Junior Colleges, 1983). school systems. A study by the Georgia Office ofPlanning and Budget (1982), and one by the Joint Economic Committee, U.S.Congress (1982) found that it was probable that the quality of vocationaleducation would benefit from participation by the industrial users of theproduct--educated and trained human resources. The U.S. Vocational-ed: Critical lessonsfor U.S. ." (Webber, 1987, p. (1965). New York: Simon and Schuster. U.S. Washington: Brookings Institution. A cooperative program operated by government,industry, and labor finds apprenticeship programs in more than 4 certified fields for students following the vocational education track.Vocational education students sign three-year apprenticeship contracts at aunion negotiated wage--the students are paid while they learn through work. (199 ). . Grant, C.L. (1987). Technicallabor in the United States of the 199 s is by and large unskilled andunprepared (Business-Higher Education Forum, 1988). (1989). While the American administrationswallow in their head-in-the-sand approach, the German and Japanesegovernments cooperate with their industries, as they continue on the pathto global economic leadership. Easton, D., & Dennis, J. Columbus, OH: OhioCommunity and Technical College Association. Edling, W. America's next crisis.Arlington, VA: Aerospace Education Foundation. The United States has long prized itsegalitarian approach to education, where, according to the nationalpropaganda, a quality education is available to all, who have the freedomto choose what type of education they want. Putting America back to work: Report of the phase IKellogg leadership initiative. Cambridge, MA: Harvard U P. (1965). At the completion of their apprenticeshiptraining, students are required to pass a national trade examination fortheir field of certification. Later, the KelloggLeadership Initiative added further impetus to local and regional planningfor an increased participation by industry in the planning andimplementation of vocational education programs (American Association ofcommunity and Junior Colleges, 1983). Business Roundtable. Georgia Office of Planning and Budget. Nation's Business, 72(12), 45. Theincreases in both organizational complexity and technological requirementschanged the shape of industry involvement in the education process. Germany produces well qualified workers for its industry, and,along with Japan, is moving rapidly to displace the United States fromglobal economic leadership. Theformation of technology-oriented complexes: Lessons from the NorthAmerican and European experiences (3rd ed.). The scientific estate.Cambridge, MA: Belknap. Boston: Northeastern University. A continuationof all of these stances will hasten the country's economic decline. Unfortunately, all too many of these experts also agree that"much of our human talent is being wasted, and a growing proportion of thenext generation is slipping beyond the reach of the institutions and valuesof our society" (Business-Higher Education Forum, 1988, p. Rosenfeld, S.A. Partners in economic development. Atlanta, GA: Office of Planning andBudget, State of Georgia. Government Printing Office. All German business organizations, not just those providingvocational education to an individual, have confidence in the quality ofthe students produced by the country's vocational education system (Grant,1991). The American education establishment is reluctant to part with any ofits prerogatives, or even to acknowledge that the problem involveseducation (Graha, 1989). 21). In G.G.Gold (Ed.). The nation'seducation establishment fights merit testing for teachers, qualificationtesting for students prior graduation, or any attempts by government andbusiness to redirect educational policy and standards. In the late-196 s and early-197 s, it became evident to someindividuals in industry and in education that improved cooperation betweenindustry and education would be required in the technology-based economy ofthe future (Sirbu, Treitel, Yorz, & Roberts, 199 ). Determinants of excellence in vocationaleducation. New Haven, CT:Yale U P. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. COMPARING THE AMERICAN AND GERMAN APPROACH TO VOCATIONAL EDUCATION A high proportion of the individuals from the top academic tier ofsecondary education in Germany enter vocational education programs.Vocational education is prized in Germany, and such programs are notconducted simply for high school drop-outs or for high school graduates whofind themselves in the position of being qualified neither for college norfor a decent job, as is the case in the United States. Wirt. At the vocationaleducation level, industry-education cooperation is often higher and moreproductive in some of the developing countries than it is, in manyinstances, in the United States (Becker, 1988). American Association ofCommunity and Junior Colleges, and the Association of Community CollegeTrustees. In the United States, studies have found that both industry andeducational institutions benefit from industry participation in theplanning and implementation of vocational education programs (Kyle, 199 ;Edling, 1982). The logic of collective action: Public goodsand the theory of groups (4th ed.). Wirt. Thus, since the last-half of the nineteenthcentury, industry and the educational establishment have been, in a sense,partners. The relationship between industry andeducation, developed into a sort of partnership. There have, however, been exceptions to this generalstate of affairs. Olson, M., Jr. Why don't we value schooling asmuch as the Asians do? A high proportionof the vocational education students in Germany are academically preparedfor college and university work. Business and higher education: Toward new alliances (3rd ed.). Children and politics. Children in the political system.New York: McGraw-Hill. (1981). In the United States, the predominant level of industry involvementwith educational institutions involves either (1) research, or (2) highlevel development of human resources (Warmbrod, Persavich, & L'Angelle,199 ; Wantuck, 1984). The concept of making education free, or relatively so, to thedirect beneficiary (the student) was not so much the fulfillment of apopulist ideal, as it was a means of insuring that competently educatedindividuals in the required numbers would be available to American industry(Bartlett & Price, 1965). Lawrence, J.E.S. New York: Harcourt Brace. (1989). . Business means business abouteducation. Washington: American Association ofCommunity and Junior Colleges, and the Association of Community CollegeTrustees. The country's education establishment, unwilling to recognize its ownshortcomings and unwilling to give up any of its prerogatives, is a majorcontributor to the vocational education dilemma in the United States.American industry, which is unwilling to participate in the vocationaleducation process at the level of such participation found in Germany is oflittle help in forging a solution to the problem. Pascale, R.T., & Athos, A.G. Thispractice is highly criticized in the United States, where students areallowed to drift until they either drop out of high school, complete highschool with few marketable skills, or, by some accident of fate, emergewell qualified for future university studies. The creation of benefits for both industry and education isessential, if the cooperative efforts are to be expected to continue and togrow in number. Georgia's economicfuture: The economic adjustment. (1981). THE FUTURE Two-thirds of the individuals completing compulsory schoolrequirements in Germany pursue apprenticeship training through vocationaleducation. The poor quality of theindividuals entering the American workforce in contemporary society has, atlast, been recognized as the country's next major crisis (AerospaceEducation Foundation, 1989). The art of Japanesemanagement. Business, however, is not willing to part with anymoney for this task, unless it gains some decision-making powers in thepolicy making and program implementation (Business Roundtable, 1989). In turn, the politicalestablishment created the public school system in the United States (Olson,1985). The high technology organizationsfunctioning in Silicon Valley have significant requirements for competentelectronic technicians and assemblers, in addition to their high profilerequirements for conceptualists and researchers. Those students who are notwell qualified for university studies are generally on their own in thepost-secondary world, with little choice but private vocational schools,which are either largely ineffective, or which qualify beauticians andbarbers, and community colleges, which are forced to attempt to developvocational skills in students who are ill prepared by their high schoolexperiences for such education (Grant, 1991). Sundquist, J.I. As might be expected in the case of such a highprofile high-technology industry, much of this cooperation has been on theresearch level, but, significantly, much of the cooperation has alsoinvolved vocational education programs. (1969). Washington: U.S.Government Printing Office. (1988). Washington: Business Roundtable. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS INCREASING THE NEED FOR EFFECTIVE INDUSTRY-EDUCATION COOPERATION The public education system in the United States was founded in largepart as a response to the growing needs of a rapidly developing economy(Easton & Dennis, 1969). Washington: U.S.Government Printing Office. German students are, at a quite early age, required to makedecisions concerning the direction of their educational future. Wantuck, M.M.(1984). Graha, E. In the United States, such a systemcould not be successfully implemented, until the country actually developsa rigorous system of academics in its primary, middle, and secondaryschools for all students. Building a quality workforce.Washington: U.S. Washington: U.S. Miami Herald, p. Congress. Industry involvement in the planning and implementation of vocationaleducation programs at both the secondary and the equivalent of thecommunity college level occurs at significant levels in Western Europe,particularly so in Germany, and the cooperation between industry andeducation in Japan is legendary (Pascale & Athos, 1981). The community colleges inthe area have benefitted from industry input and cooperation; however, thecooperation has not extended to any significant extent to the secondaryschool level (Useem, 1981). In J.G. (199 ). (1985). In The Associate. 21.----------------------- 14 Business Roundtable. In the United Kingdom, two-thirds of thoseindividuals completing compulsory school requirements leave the educationsystem behind forever (Grant, 1991). Experience has indicated that vocationaleducation graduates who pass their trade examinations are seldom out ofwork. Department of Education. New York Times, p. Business-Higher Education Forum, (9), 1-27. Most experts agreethat the American economy requires "more highly educated entry workers inorder for our country to remain competitive" (U.S. U.S. In J.G. Department of Labor. Sharingresources: Postsecondary education and industry cooperation (2nd ed.).Columbus, OH: Ohio State University. American potential: Thehuman dimension. (1988). Wages are paid by industry, and are not underwritten by the government.Employers also pay the cost of the academic studies which are a part of thevocational education program. The problem in the United Kingdom is even worsethan that in the United States. Americanbusinesses, for the most part view the contemporary high school diploma assignifying nothing more than time spent in the classroom (Rosenfeld, 1987). Department of Education. (1991, February 3). Commission on theSkills of the American Workforce (199 ) states that, because the UnitedStates has failed to forge a relationship between how well a studentperforms in high school, and the kind of job he or she can obtain, thecountry has turned its high schools into little more than holding tanks fornoncollege-bound students. (1987, January 26). (1983). Webber, A.M. Warmbrod, C.P., Persavich, J.J., & L'Angelle, D. Business, government, and the education establishment in the UnitedStates recognize that a problem exists with respect to vocationaleducation. Policy issues in the governance ofvocational education. Certainly, the industrial organizations havebeen rewarded for their participation in the planning and implementation ofvocational and education programs in the local area community colleges. The ideologically-basedpolitical administrations in the United States are too bound by theirrestrictive ideologies to permit them to take an effective lead inreforming the country's approach to vocational education. Democracy under pressure (7thed.). Education and high technology industry: The caseof Silicon Valley. Vocational education in Germany is a fusion of rigorous academics andpractical training (Grant, 1991). A one-sided benefit perception would only induce the otherpartner to, eventually, pull out of the cooperative arrangement. German government, education, and industryrecognize that not everyone can, should, or even wants to study at theuniversity level. Washington: U.S. Greenstein, F.I. When students successfully complete vocationaleducation programs in Germany, they emerge with self-esteem, as well aswith technical skills (Grant, 1991). "Competitiveness," not industrialpolicy. Design papers for the assessment of vocationaleducation. Partners: Business and education. References Aerospace Education Foundation. a not too subtledevice that would allow a bunch of over-educated do-good liberals to gatherin a room in Washington and decide which companies to support and which tojettison . . Wall StreetJournal, p. PLANNING FOR INCREASED INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT IN THE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROCESS Planning for greater industry participation in the education processmay be performed at a number of levels. Cummings, M.C., & Wise, D. Commissionon the Skills of the American Workforce, 199 ). (1982). The role of business in educationalreform: Blueprint for action. Business Week, 22. In the United States, students of this caliber would likelybe found in an MBA (master of business administration) program at auniversity, preparing themselves for a career in financial manipulation, orpreparing themselves to be corporate vice-presidents without ever learningthe functional tasks of a specific type of business or industrialenterprise. German industry plays a major role in the country's vocationaleducation programs. Design papers for the assessment ofvocational education. (1988, December 12). The dual system of education, thus, provides for allstudents. The great preponderance of American employers(9 percent) think that an American high school diploma signifies nodependable level of either education or skill development (U.S. (199 ). They choose vocational education becausethey desire to become well qualified in job skills which will last a careerlifetime, and because they have great confidence that the country'svocational education programs will enable them to acquire such skills(Grant, 1991). Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce. Overthe decades, industry moved toward a more direct form of involvement ineducation (Cummings & Wise, 199 ). The egalitarian promise,however, does not translate well into reality, where most students emergefrom the educational system ill prepared. Business, for its part, expresses a willingness to participatein educational reform. Bartlett, E.I., & Price, D.K. (1988). If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.