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OPINION: U.S. needs to bring back vocational training in schools

(Forbes) -- In an op-ed at Forbes.com, contributor Nicholas Wyman writes that "throughout most of U.S. history, high school students were routinely taught vocational and job-ready skills." But somewhere along the way, "the focus shifted to preparing all students for college, and college prep is still the center of the U.S. high school curriculum." Wyman writes that "some students are mechanical" and "learn best by doing." He points to Bureau of Labor Statistics' data that show roughly 32% of high school students don't attend college, and that "almost 40% of students who begin four-year college programs don't complete them." The BLS found that "37% of currently employed college grads are doing work for which only a high school degree is required." Wyman concludes that America's "college-for-everyone" mentality has harmed the nation, writing, "If we want everyone's kid to succeed, we need to bring vocational education back to the core of high school learning."

http://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholaswyman/2015/09/01/why-we-desperately-need-to-bring-back-vocational-training-in-schools/#2a987133465c

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