In this article, you will find out the pros and cons of both vocational education and pursuing academic studies at university. This information can help you choose the best type of higher education to get the career you want. Vocational education Modern vocational education and training VET is training for a specific industry through a combination of teaching and practical experience.
In many cases, vocational education combines learning in the college environment as well as practical work experience. Some vocational institutions also offer vocational training to postgraduates who want to specialise in a specific area — for example, as a general practitioner GP. Other vocational colleges offer diploma courses in industries such as business. Of course, any type of learning can be classed as academic.
Pros Get practical experience — One of the most significant advantages of vocational education is that you get hands-on experience. Vocational courses are designed to engage you with industry leaders and you learn employment skills on the job. Graduate in a quicker time — Most vocational courses are shorter than degree courses. The shorter time to graduate with a diploma also means that vocational learning is cheaper. Obtain specialised training — Another advantage of VET is that you can get specialised training in your industry.
So, rather than graduate with an academic degree and then have to get employment training, you are ready to start work immediately. Learn in a dynamic environment — Many international vocational colleges draw in students from all over the world.
This diversity makes learning exciting and also opens up life and career opportunities. Cons Limited scope — One of the disadvantages is that your area of expertise may be restricted. Vocational courses tend to be focused on one type of career. If you decide to change career paths, you may need additional education. All vocational training schools below the level of tekhnikums were placed under the jurisdiction of this highly centralized institution.
In the labor reserve schools were transformed into urban and rural vocational-technical schools , and the whole system of vocational training was transferred to the jurisdiction of a state committee of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR.
Under Nikita Khrushchev an attempt was made to unify secondary general education with rudimentary vocational education, in a system of specialized secondary and higher education offering practical experience of production processes in enterprises. The attempt failed, and in professional and vocational training was again reorganized. In Western Ukraine under Austrian rule, in the 19th century professional and vocational education was poorly developed, and both the authorities and the Ukrainian community focused on the development of the general education school system.
Lviv University and Chernivtsi University offered professional education, although few Ukrainians were enrolled there because of discriminatory policies. The Lviv Higher Polytechnical School was founded in , and there were veterinary schools, agricultural schools , and forestry schools in Lviv as well. There were practically no public vocational schools with Ukrainian as the language of instruction, and only one private secondary-level trade school, operated by the Prosvita society in Lviv.
There was also a Prosvita agricultural school of lower rank in Myluvannia. In Western Ukraine under Polish rule, professional and vocational education continued to be weak. The most highly developed professional schools were institutions offering pedagogical training. Professional education organized by the Galician land board was poorly developed; there were only a few schools at the secondary level eg, commercial art and trade schools in Lviv and a few more of lower rank primarily vocational schools.
Polish was the language of instruction. In —8 there were secondary vocational schools 91 in Galicia and 55 in Volhynia , with 22, students 17, and 4, respectively. The number of Ukrainian students attending these schools was negligible because the transition from rural elementary schools to professional and secondary schools was difficult. In Galicia the Ukrainian community gradually developed private professional schools—four secondary and eight lower schools.
In the Lviv school district, out of secondary and lower vocational schools only 13 were Ukrainian-language institutions; out of 97 schools offering supplementary vocational instruction 5 gave instruction in Ukrainian, and all were private institutions. Various community organizations, such as the Ridna Shkola society and the Prosvita societies, offered short-term vocational courses.
During the Second World War , under the Generalgouvernement , professional and vocational education expanded owing to Ukrainian community efforts. There were professional schools, with 81, students. In —2, higher education programs were organized in the fields of medicine, veterinary science, pharmacy, technology, agronomy, and forestry.
In Bukovyna , under Romanian rule, there were few opportunities for professional and vocational education. In all Ukrainian-language schools were closed. Transcarpathia , under Czechoslovak rule, was in a better situation. In there were 5 teachers' seminaries 4 with Ukrainian as the language of instruction and 3 secondary vocational schools all Ukrainian, including the Trade Academy in Mukachevo , 9 lower vocational schools of which 8 were Ukrainian , and supplementary vocational schools Ukrainian.
In contemporary Ukraine lower-grade vocational education is provided in vocational-technical schools , which, beginning in , have gradually been transformed into institutions of secondary education offering general education as well as instruction in a specific trade. Full-time and part-time programs are offered that vary from one to three years. In there were 1, such schools, with , students. Institutions of secondary special education provide middle-grade vocational or semiprofessional education for the training of technicians, paramedics, and the like.
In —8 there were specialized secondary schools , with , students of whom , were in full-time day programs. A shorter course means that overall, students are paying fewer tuition and enrolment fees. Some vocational courses also have lower fees from the get-go, offering a per-semester saving regardless of course duration. Better still, because vocational education almost always includes paid placements and work experience, students will earn as they learn!
With so many different viewpoints, subjects and structures, it can be difficult to nail down a single definition. They can also help distinguish more vocational courses from academic ones.
One of the first questions you and your students will have about any course is what will be taught. One handy summary might be to think of the content of academic courses as a vehicle toward soft and intellectual skills, whereas the hard, hands-on skills a vocational course imparts themselves make up the content of the course. As you can see, vocational courses range hugely in content, and demand all kinds of skill-sets. Their chosen vocational course will give them the opportunity to hone their particular skills towards their chosen profession.
That means that as a general rule, vocational course content has a narrower focus and a more tangible objective. An academic history degree, for example, will incorporate politics, sociology, economics, psychology and more, and cross years and the globe in scope. It equips students with an array of soft skills analytical thought, logical reasoning, debate, reading critically and so on.
On the other hand, an aviation technology course will be exclusively concerned with teaching students how to build, maintain and repair aircraft. Vocational courses are extremely practical in their delivery. On the contrary, vocational courses allow students to get right into the action and learn by doing.
As we mentioned, one thing almost all vocational courses share is that they involve real work experience. There are also important differences in terms of contact hours. Assessment is a pivotal part of any qualification.
It's often a top priority for students weighing up vocational vs academic offerings. As ever, knowing their strengths and preferences is the first, crucial step. For students who hate written exams or lengthy essays, vocational education probably fits the bill. Assessment for these courses is usually continuous, rather than one big exam or piece of work.
Of course, an accountancy or hotel management qualification may well involve written essays or exams. If this is a big selling point for your students, make sure they do their research beforehand! Vocational courses are on offer around the world!
Some can be found in traditional universities, while others might be offered in colleges or even community centres. There are also lots of universities and other institutions dedicated entirely to vocational education. Germany and the Netherlands have particularly esteemed Universities of Applied Sciences.
It's also worth noting that many of these vocational courses and institutions are specifically geared towards international students. They have special support, extra-curricular societies, bilingual courses and more to ensure international students get settled in. In fact, it's not just from pastoral or practical standpoints that vocational institutions are thinking globally. With globalization ramping up and affecting almost every profession, many vocational institutions foreground their international approach in their course content and delivery, too.
And by choosing a course abroad, students will gain the international skills and perspectives that employers so value, as well as the vocational skills - a double whammy for employability!
This has proven a popular tactic: more than 75, international students are currently enrolled at German UAS, for example. Help your students narrow down their university options and build a shortlist that works for them. For some students, the decision will be straightforward. If they picture their future as an ink-stained literature professor, an academic degree is a prerequisite. Most students fall somewhere in between the extreme examples of a make-up technician and a literature professor, and - as most counsellors know first-hand - a huge majority are not so certain of their ultimate goal.
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