RECOMMENDATION II-VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE COUNSELING The Montana Advisory Council recommends that: The individual training institutions assume the responsibility for informing entering students of the employment possibilities (in- and out-of-state), potential salaries, full descriptions of the training provided and related jobs which may be available to them. Response: Presently 96 high schools, 11 junior high schools, 2 grade schools, and 4 vocational-technical centers are taking advantage of the project (VIEW) Vital Information for Education and Work which is designed to give students the information which is called for in this recommendation. Project VIEW was initiated by the State Superintendent's office during the latter part of the year and will be expanded during the coming year to include information for use by elementary schools. Information related to employment is constantly updated as part of this project and disseminated to schools. The vocational guidance project which is conducted for guidance counselors from throughout Montana every summer at Northern Montana College is designed to make counselors aware of job information resources available to them. Guidance counselors who have taken advantage of this summer institute have become better prepared to assist students in making occupational choices. A total of 47 counselors have participated in this institution. In addition, each of the five vocational-technical centers have admissions counselors and vocational counselors who are responsible for providing students with occupational information at the time the student enrolls in a program. Throughout the student's training he is also periodically informed of possible changes in the employment picture within the occupation he is training for. RECOMMENDATION III-DISADVANTAGED PERSONS The Montana Advisory Council recommends that: The disadvantaged receive a high priority for vocational training whether our judgements are made on a purely humanitarian basis or a coldly economic one. More of the disadvantaged people should be helped by vocational training than are currently being served in Montana. Response: The State Superintendent's office will continue to promote vocational education opportunities to disadvantaged persons by funding vocational education projects which specifically identify the individuals disadvantagement and then give the student the necessary assistance to succeed in a regular vocational education program. The number of disadvantaged persons served exclusively through the use of vocational funds is naturally based on the amount of funds available for this purpose. However, regardless of whether funds for the training of disadvantaged persons increase or decrease the State Superintendent's office will make every effort to encourage schools to provide training programs which assist the disadvantaged person in becoming a productive employee. Efforts will also be continued by the State Superintendent's office to coordinate activities with other state and national agencies designed to provide training for disadvantaged persons. RECOMMENDATION IV-MANPOWER CORRELATION STUDY The Montana Advisory Council recommends that: As soon as program exit figures are available, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction undertake a manpower correlation study similar to that recently completed in the State of Oregon. This study is an effort to analyze the extent to which educational programs are compatible with manpower requirements. Such a manpower study for Montana should be based on the regional labor market as well as the state market. Response: The State Superintendent's office is currently studying the feasibility of conducting a correlation study similar to the one described in the recommendation. The depth of such a study will be dependent on financial resources and availability of staff to undertake such a project. At this time it is anticipated that such a study will become part of the total system of planning and evaluation being developed by the State Superintendent's office for the accreditation of the state's five post-secondary vocational-technical centers. It is also anticipated that the exit and follow-up figures presently being gathered by the State Superintendent's office will play an important part in the overall development of such a study. RECOMMENDATION V-INTER-AGENCY COOPERATION The Montana Advisory Council recommends that: Continued and intensified efforts be made to increase cooperation, coordination and articulation of educa tional efforts among agencies as well as individuals in providing for the vocational needs of people. Response: The State Superintendent's office will continue to work with the Montana State Employment Service, Vocational Rehabilitation and all other agencies involved in occupational training in order to coordinate educational training opportunites for Montana's citizens. Presently members of the State Superintendent's staff serve on state councils and committees which deal specifically with the occupational training of Montana citizens. At present two of the State Superintendent's staff members serve on the Montana Manpower Planning Advisory Council. This council is very active in the coordination and evaluation of manpower training activities in the state and has a membership composed of individuals representing agencies that are responsible for vocational training in Montana. RECOMMENDATION VI-JOB PLACEMENT COUNSELORS The Montana Advisory Council recommends that: The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Employment Security Division cooperatively develop a system whereby job placement counselors are specifically assigned and strategically located and charged the responsibility of providing job placement assistance for students. Response: Presently the Employment Service counselors on the local level work with secondary and post-secondary students who desire assistance in securing employment. At the five state vocational-technical centers this cooperation has been further strengthened by center placement personnel working with the counselors at the Employment Service offices to place those students completing training. The feasibility of job placement counselors being specifically assigned to student placement would be subject to the organizational structure and financial limitations of the Montana State Employment Service. The State Superintendent's office will continue to work with the Montana Employment Service on the state level to encourage close cooperation between schools and employment offices on the local level. RECOMMENDATION VII-ADULT EDUCATION The Montana Advisory Council recommends that: The state Board study the possibility of providing added monetary incentives to local districts to encourage them to provide more adult vocational education. Response: The State Superintendent's office has and will continue to promote adult vocational education programs in local communities. This promotion has been in the form of encouraging local school districts to utilize the one mill adult education permissive levy and submit vocational adult education projects for approval to this office. New procedures developed by the State Superintendent's office last year have enabled local school districts to submit adult vocational education proposals three weeks prior to the start of a class. This procedure has greatly enhanced the flexibility districts have in planning and implementing adult programs. At this time it would be rather difficult to provide additional monetary incentives to local districts for adult education due to anticipated decreases in federal funding and the substantial increase in vocational education programs at all levels over the past five years which in effect has had the effect of spreading vocational funds rather thin. Additional monetary resources wou'd undoubtedly have to come through increased state appropriations for vocational education. RECOMMENDATION VIII-ELIMINATION OF UNNECESSARY COURSE REPETITION The Montana Advisory Council recommends that: The State Board of Education work with all public post-secondary institutions on the problem of acceptance of those proficiencies already possessed by a student, thus eliminating unnecessary course repetition. Response: The State Superintendent's office, under the auspices of the State Board of Education has begun addressing itself to the problem outlined in the recommendation. Program supervisors in Vocational and Occupational Skills Component of the State Superintendent's office are working with the University system to expand course challenge policies, thus allowing students entering the University System to receive credit for non-transferable courses they have completed at a vocational-technical center. These efforts have been particularly successful in the areas of health occupations and marketing and distributive education. The State Superintendent's office is also working with Northern Montana College to develop a competency based teacher education model which will allow students preparing to be vocational teachers to receive academic credit for skills they possess in their field of study. By December, 1973 the competencies students should have to be successful will be identified with a delivery system for the entire competency based model being developed by the spring of 1974. The state's five post-secondary vocational-technical centers allow students to substitute advanced courses for beginning courses or finish their program of instruction early if the students possess those skills that are taught in beginning courses. This concept is presently being carried out in all vocationaltechnical centers in the state. Adult Sec- sec Sec- sec ondary ondary Adult ondary ondary Adult ondary ondary Adult ondary ondary Programs Part B: Agriculture education.... 2, 222 0 1,043 2,927 37 487 2,894 297 498 3, 200 500 1,200 54 0 101 Wage earning home 1,000 150 880 150 0 3,800 Trade and total 6,655 218 2,712 12, 237 834 4,402 21,010 4,230 8,727 31,070 5,530 12,580 1 Includes 225 elementary students. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS Due to increased Federal funds that have been made available through the Vocational Education Act of 1963, as amended in 1968, Montana vocational education programs have grown to the point where 63 percent of the State's school-age population is being served by vocational education programs. We are confident that this growth would not have been possible without the Federal funds that were made available to local school districts on a reimbursement basis. The fact that this money is categorical in nature has allowed Montana to specifically develop programs that address themselves to those areas of vocational education for which the money was intended. With increased funding of a categorical nature, Montana's vocational education programs will continue to grow in order that more of our citizens can be served. NEBRASKA State Director-Glen H. Strain A progress report to the General Subcommittee on Education, Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, 93d Congress of the United States-Chairman, Carl D. Perkins (Ky.) INTRODUCTION As a result of the Vocational Education Act of 1963 and the Vocational Education Amendments of 1968, along with increased State and local funding, one of the most significant educational movements in the State of Nebraska during the past decade has been the growth and development of vocational education services to youth and adults. These acts brought to the attention of the people the need for increased vocational education training and also helped to redirect the movement toward social and economic goals. Under the provisions of the new acts, it is possible to make youths and adults employable with all the factors, thereby involved. Vocational education also has the responsibility of serving all ability levels of students of all races, creeds, and colors in all parts of the State. Enrollments in vocational education in Nebraska have increased 298 percent during the past 10-year period. It is anticipated that the growth will continue at a relatively steady rate if adequate funding is made available to provide needed services. Total vocational education enrollments for specific years PUBLIC LAW 90-576 "PART B-STATE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS” The growth and development in Federal job training programs has registered a tremendous increase during the past 10 years. The training programs were developed in relationship to training needs as reported by the Nebraska Research Coordinating Unit's annual study and as supplemented by the State employment security reports. Close coordination between the State economic development department and the vocational education division also gave direction to training needs within the State. Since the 1963 Vocational Education Act was implemented, there have been many courses initiated and expanded in all of the areas; however, on the secondary level the greatest expansion has been in the trade and industrial, distribution, and the office occupations education areas. In the agricultural area more emphasis has been placed on agribusiness even though our supply for production agriculture is still considerably short of those needed for entering this phase. The home economics related occupations for gainful employment area has not shown as much growth as the other areas. All areas at the postsecondary and adult levels have shown continual growth. Health occupations related areas, along with trade and industrial and office occupations areas have shown the most growth. c. Postsecondary Courses During the past 10 years, postsecondary enrollments have increased from 774 in 1963 to 7,180 in 1972. Indications are that this growth will continue at a steady rate for the next several years. Beginning on July 1, 1973 the State of Nebraska will be divided into seven technical community college areas. Each area will include all of the 2-year posthigh school institutions under a single area board. Representatives from each one of these boards, plus one representative from the State board of vocational education, will make up the State board for technical community colleges. It is hoped through this means that 1 The School of Technical Agriculture, which is a 2-year postsecondary school at Curtis, will still operate as a State school under the jurisdiction of the University of Nebraska. |