One of the strongest pieces of evidence supporting the value of vocational education is the recent research by California's community college system, which highlights significant economic benefits associated with vocational training. According to this study, vocational programs can confer certifications that add tens of thousands of dollars annually to a graduate's income (Esparza). This evidence underscores the economic viability of vocational education, demonstrating that skilled labor positions, particularly in sectors like industrial computing and welding, offer lucrative opportunities without requiring traditional four-year degrees. Additionally, the manufacturing industry is currently grappling with severe worker shortages, a situation exacerbated by the societal push for all high school graduates to pursue college degrees rather than vocational training (Emery). The California government is responding with substantial investments aimed at reviving vocational education's reputation, signaling a growing recognition of its importance (Ton-Quinlivan). This cultural shift is critical; it allows for pathways to financial stability and career advancement for individuals like Esparza, who seek to improve their economic prospects without the burden of a college degree. Ultimately, fostering awareness and participation in vocational education can provide viable career options for many, leading to more skilled workers and a more robust economy.
Supporting Point #1 Paragraph (6 sentences)
a. Introduce the strongest evidence that supports your point.
a. Note the source this information came from with an in-text citation.
b. Give two supporting details.
c. Explain how this evidence supports your point
D. Talk about making money without needing a degree
Esparza is a 46-year-old mechanic for Evolution Fresh, a subsidiary of Starbucks that makes juices and smoothies. He’s taking a class in industrial computing taught by a community college at a local manufacturing plant in the hope it will bump up his wages.
It’s a pretty safe bet. The skills being taught here are in high demand. That’s in part because so much effort has been put into encouraging high school graduates to go to college for academic degrees rather than for training in industrial and other trades that many fields like his face worker shortages.
Now California is spending $6 million on a campaign to revive the reputation of vocational education, and $200 million to improve the delivery of it.
Related: Manufacturers say their worker shortage is getting worse. Here’s why
“It’s a cultural rebuild,” said Randy Emery, a welding instructor at the College of the Sequoias in California’s Central Valley.
Standing in a cavernous teaching lab full of industrial equipment on the college’s Tulare campus, Emery said the decades-long national push for high school graduates to get bachelor’s degrees left vocational programs with an image problem, and the nation’s factories with far fewer skilled workers than needed.
Related: Unions urge Democrats to focus on kitchen table economics
“I’m a survivor of that teardown mode of the ’70s and ’80s, that college-for-all thing,” he said.Research by the state’s 114-campus community college system showed that families and employers alike didn’t know of the existence or value of vocational programs and the certifications they confer, many of which can add tens of thousands of dollars per year to a graduate’s income.
“We needed to do a better job getting the word out,” said Van Ton-Quinlivan, the system’s vice chancellor for workforce and economic development.
High schools and colleges have struggled for decades to attract students to job-oriented classes ranging from welding to nursing. They’ve tried cosmetic changes, such as rebranding “vocational” courses as “career and technical education,” but students and their families have yet to buy in, said Andrew Hanson, a senior research analyst with Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce.
Federal figures show that only 8 percent of undergraduates are enrolled in certificate programs, which tend to be vocationally oriented.
Related: Universities and colleges struggle to stem big drops in enrollment
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., last year focused attention on the vocational vs. academic debate by contending during his presidential campaign that “welders make more money than philosophers.” USE QUITARIONS AND IN CITATION
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