2. Programs which discover and experiment with various shortterm vocational training to encourage employment of disadvantaged adults and/or lead to lower dropout rates among youth.

3. Programs which fill specialized educational needs related to vocations.

As a result of the minigrant approach, many classroom teachers have written proposals for vocational programs and career education projects thus increasing their familiarity with vocational education and motivating many more of their students toward occupational objectives.

The new campus for Rhode Island Junior College opened in September of 1972 and has resulted in a significant increase in enrollment in and potential for postsecondary programs in the near future. A second campus is being planned to serve the Northern sector of the State within the next 4-5 years, and a third facility is planned to serve the Newport region.

The recent availability of area facilities combined with a policy of encouraging development of programs in comprehensive schools explains the recent large increase in vocational education enrollment for the State of Rhode Island.

In 1963 with only one State vocational facility available, enrollments reached a maximum of 9,000. In 1968, the first schools were on the drawing board but lacking substantial Federal funds as a stimulus enrollment was still very low at 9,799.

By 1972, with 7 secondary schools and 1 junior college operating at capacity, the enrollment jumped to 19,992. Taking into account the completion of two more schools, continued Federal funding, and the increased development of programs in comprehensive schools, the projected enrollment for 1977 will reach a minimum of 23,000.

GENERAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN FEDERAL JOB TRAINING
PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS

Rhode Island vocational training offerings have expanded widely over the past 10 years. Programs now serve a large variety of needs since initiation and expansion of a broader variety of courses.

Significant expansion has taken place, for example, in the areas of distributive education, health, office occupations, and trades and industries.

Distributive education which covers a number of general merchandizing skills has expanded from 2 programs in 1963 to 22 secondary and several postsecondary offerings. Many of these programs are offered in comprehensive high schools throughout the State and all have been initiated through a receipt of Federal grants for vocational education. These programs are designed to lead to cooperative experiences in the junior and senior years of school and, therefore, have the added advantage of bridging the gap between school and work for the student as well as serving the needs of our economy.

Another service-oriented occupational program, growing rapidly throughout the United States, provides training in the health services. Rhode Island has continuously expanded its course offerings and population served in this area. Federal funds have been instru

mental in seeding the growth and expansion of an extremely successful postsecondary practical nursing program operated by the State. Programs for nursing assistants, general health occupations for adults who have left school, and programs for disadvantaged adults who wish to prepare for various technological occupations within the health sciences have also been most successful in placing their graduates.

Secondary programs in multipurpose health occupational career training are presently available in six area vocational schools and additional programs will be included in one facility to open in 1975.

The ever increasing demand for graduates trained in computer technology and office skills has been met in Rhode Island by new programs to prepare secondary students and adults in data processing and basic computer technology. These programs are presently operating in six of our vocational schools. The department of education has also encouraged the development of business occupations programs in comprehensive high schools throughout the State and has recently funded several simulated office and cooperative business programs with school systems applying for grants to try innovative or exemplary concepts related to business occupations.

Program expansion is occurring in all service related occupations. New demands have produced programs in food services including training for chefs, bakers, and in restaurant management, as well as in child care and community service. Curricula for these latter two programs are being developed for use at both the secondary and postSecondary levels.

As growth continues in all of the presently represented training opportunities available to adults and high school students, new occupational programs are being researched and curriculums developed for emerging occupations to be offered in the vocational schools of Rhode Island. These include environmental control, plastics technology, and the clustering effect of a variety of skills to form such occupations as building maintenance and construction technology. Rhode Island is, therefore, responding to the challenge of meeting the occupational demands of the future while serving the needs of the present with all the resoures at its command.

In 1963 with the exception of a single practical nursing program, public postsecondary vocational education was nonexistent in the State of Rhode Island.

In 1967, the State initiated several terminal education programs at Rhode Island Junior College for post high school students. By 1968, there was established a 2-year program in retail management and a 1-year program for medical lab assistants. In that year, also, students were admitted to new courses in industrial electronics, instrumentation, machine processes, and machine design. A total of 222 students were enrolled in those postsecondary programs and, in the area of health occupations, Rhode Island School of Practical Nursing had increased its enrollment to 210 students.

In the following 4 years, enrollment in postsecondary education incrase significantly to approximately 1,100 students. New postsecondary programs in the health field were developed in two area vocational schools. Rhode Island Junior College increased its offerings

to include dental assistants, radiologie technology, food distribution. and chemical technology, while a postsecondary program for ove occupations was funded with a private agency serving disadvantaged adulta.

Approximately 20 percent of present students in postsecondary education are enrolled in vocational-technical programs. A projected increase to 35 percent by 1977 assures that two junior colleges will be constructed to house new programs and that Federal funding will be provided to stimulate additional postsecondary programs for disadvantaged in facilities other than Rhode Island Junior College. At present, two major private, nonprofit grants for postsecondary programs have been awarded and more efforts in this direction are anticipated.

It is also a goal to make available all vocational-technical schools for adult and postsecondary programs during evenings and on weekends in order to maximize use of these facilities. Career-ladder programs which involve both adult and postsecondary training are now in the planning stages and will be implemented in Spring, 1974.

DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS ENROLLMENT BY REGULAR AND SPECIAL NEEDS PROGRAMS

NOTE In 1963, no distinction was made in the records for disadvantaged or handicapped persons. In 1968, they were distinguished only as persons with special needs; therefore, the chart for handicapped persons (2E) will show the same figures for that year,

As is evident by the above figures, a great deal of progress has been made in developing programs to serve the disadvantaged population of Rhode Island. It has been and continues to be a priority to develop secondary, postsecondary, and adult programs which concentrate on persons with special needs. Specific programs relate to specific types of disadvantagement.

Present programs include those developed for school dropouts and potential dropouts, juvenile delinquents, inmates at the Adult Correctional Institution, and intensive training programs for adult members of racial minority groups.

Because a high percentage of disadvantaged students are located in the central cities of Rhode Island, the department has made a concentrated effort to establish programs in these cities so as to reach and provide vocational education opportunities to this segment of the population. Approximately 70 percent of the disadvantaged population enrolled in vocational education in 1972 resided in central cities.

Future objectives in this area include increasing the population to be served by 1977 and improving program quality. The Department intends to expand its occupational programs and is encouraging the development of alternate learning programs as vehicles for educating

those who, for a variety of reasons, cannot relate to the educational structure as it presently stands.

An institute is soon to be given for preservice and inservice vocational teachers to orient them to the special needs of the disadvantaged. It is hypothesized that their resultant greater awareness will be accompanied by a more indepth, appropriate response to the needs of disadvantaged students.

NOTE In 1963, no distinction was made in the records for disadvantaged or handicapped persons In 1968, they were distinguished only as persons with special needs, therefore the chart for handkapped persons (2E) will show the same figures for that year.

The department of education has made significant progress in meeting the training of the handicapped during 1972. Areas of concentration included many programs for the mentally retarded and a unique program for students at the school for the deaf.

The employment readiness program at the school for the deaf provides initial training for the student in a variety of meaningful Vocational skills. Included in the programs are business, jewelry making, working with metals, photography and silk screening, drafting, graphic arts, and machine shop. All vocational areas covered are interrelated so that each student becomes familiar with a variety of separate skills and combinations of them to better serve his or her Vocational needs after leaving school.

Several programs have been initiated for the purpose of giving work skills and related social skills to the trainable and educable retarded. The final goal of vocational education projects in this area is to deinstitutionalize all capable retarded and place them employed in the community.

Federally funded co-op programs for retarded have been instituted in several school systems and training and placement programs have been funded at the State school and at various centers throughout the State.

In fiscal 1972, $163,921 was expended to serve 392 handicapped people in Rhode Island. Our present efforts have substantially inerased the amount spent and the population served. It is a major objective of the department to increase the number of programs availalde and encourage professional development in the area.

As with disadvantaged, an institute is being provided for vocational education teachers at the secondary level to orient them to the special needs of the handicapped.

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