Question
Supporting Point #1 Paragraph
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
Use the text below and use quotations
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.”
The United States has 30 million jobs that pay an average of $55,000 per year and don’t require a bachelor’s degree, according to the Georgetown center. People with career and technical educations are actually slightly more likely to be employed than their counterparts with academic credentials, the U.S. Department of Education reports, and significantly more likely to be working in their fields of study.
At California Steel Industries, where Esparza was learning industrial computing, some supervisors without college degrees make as much as $120,000 per year and electricians also can make six figures, company officials said.
sound like going to college was our only option,” he said. “After you go to college, where do you go? It can open doors for you, but not as much as they make it seem.”
Career education boosters also say job-focused courses — and accompanying apprenticeships — can provide students with essential “soft skills” such as communication and conflict resolution that foster teamwork and reduce stress. And schools should consider blending traditional college courses with vocational ones, said Sean Gallagher, who recently founded Northeastern University’s Center for the Future of Higher Education and Talent Strategy.
“It’s often either vocational training or liberal arts,” Gallagher said. “But if you look at what employers want, it’s both, and I think that’s often lost in the dialogue today.”
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
Use the text below and use quotations
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.”
The United States has 30 million jobs that pay an average of $55,000 per year and don’t require a bachelor’s degree, according to the Georgetown center. People with career and technical educations are actually slightly more likely to be employed than their counterparts with academic credentials, the U.S. Department of Education reports, and significantly more likely to be working in their fields of study.
At California Steel Industries, where Esparza was learning industrial computing, some supervisors without college degrees make as much as $120,000 per year and electricians also can make six figures, company officials said.
sound like going to college was our only option,” he said. “After you go to college, where do you go? It can open doors for you, but not as much as they make it seem.”
Career education boosters also say job-focused courses — and accompanying apprenticeships — can provide students with essential “soft skills” such as communication and conflict resolution that foster teamwork and reduce stress. And schools should consider blending traditional college courses with vocational ones, said Sean Gallagher, who recently founded Northeastern University’s Center for the Future of Higher Education and Talent Strategy.
“It’s often either vocational training or liberal arts,” Gallagher said. “But if you look at what employers want, it’s both, and I think that’s often lost in the dialogue today.”
Answers
GPT-4o mini
One compelling piece of evidence highlighting the importance of vocational education is the assertion by the U.S. Department of Education that individuals with career and technical education programs are “slightly more likely to be employed than their counterparts with academic credentials, and significantly more likely to be working in their fields of study.” This statistic reveals a critical advantage of vocational training, underscoring its relevance in the current job market. Additionally, the data presented by the Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce indicates that “the United States has 30 million jobs that pay an average of $55,000 per year and don’t require a bachelor’s degree.” These details emphasize that vocational paths can offer lucrative opportunities that traditional academic degrees may not always guarantee.
This evidence supports the point that vocational education is often undervalued and can provide significant economic benefits. By showcasing the employment rates and potential income for those in vocational fields, it challenges the traditional notion that a four-year college degree is the sole pathway to success. The contrast in employment outcomes, as well as the potential earning power associated with technical training, makes a strong case for the necessity of reshaping public perception and prioritizing vocational education. As professionals like Randy Emery and advocates for vocational training highlight, there is an urgent need to "do a better job getting the word out" about these valuable educational paths, which not only foster skilled labor but also serve as a remedy to the critical worker shortages many industries face today.
This evidence supports the point that vocational education is often undervalued and can provide significant economic benefits. By showcasing the employment rates and potential income for those in vocational fields, it challenges the traditional notion that a four-year college degree is the sole pathway to success. The contrast in employment outcomes, as well as the potential earning power associated with technical training, makes a strong case for the necessity of reshaping public perception and prioritizing vocational education. As professionals like Randy Emery and advocates for vocational training highlight, there is an urgent need to "do a better job getting the word out" about these valuable educational paths, which not only foster skilled labor but also serve as a remedy to the critical worker shortages many industries face today.