In the Reform Era, the Chinese Government has placed great emphasis on the role of education in ensuring the economic success of individuals and of the country as a whole. While vocational and academic post-secondary qualifications are officially set at the same level, vocational education is positioned at the bottom of the educational hierarchy…

This study analyzes how worker pay is related to educational diversity, i.e., diversity in the educational composition of work groups in terms of the different types of vocational and academic education. As previous research shows that various types of diversity have positive effects in the workplace, a positive effect due to 'educational…

High school vocational education has a controversial history in the United States, largely due to a perceived tradeoff between teaching readily deployable occupational skills versus shunting mostly disadvantaged students away from the educational and career flexibility afforded by general academic courses. We study the effects of a nationwide high…

The evolution of community colleges from their origins as junior colleges to institutions with dual missions to provide both academic and workforce preparation raises questions about the impact of a college's mission focus on its students' labor market success. We examine this question using data from the 58 colleges in the North Carolina…

This paper analyses whether tertiary education of different types, i.e., academic or vocational tertiary education, leads to more or less favorable labor market outcomes. We study the problem for Switzerland, where more than two thirds of the workforce gain vocational secondary degrees and a substantial number go on to a vocational tertiary degree…

A study was conducted to determine the effect of participation in vocational education on labor market experience immediately after high school. Data were gathered in March and April of 1980 while the young people were seniors in high school, and again two years later. The first wave of data contained various measures of education and grades in…

National Longitudinal Survey data were used to estimate the effects of specific high school curricula on wages and educational attainment. Return to additional academic courses was small, suggesting that the value of a year of high school cannot be accounted for by estimates of the value of courses taken. (SK)

A study of adults from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort found that four-year college graduates who transferred from community colleges have similar earnings to those who started at four-year colleges. Community college terminal degree students have better earnings than four-year college dropouts. Evidence of positive…

A new longitudinal study reveals that the negative association between hours worked and grade point average is weaker for high schoolers in cooperative education (co-op) than in "outside" jobs. High school co-op leads to higher wages soon after graduation. However, students who curtail their education to pursue full-time employment could…

Examines labor market outcomes of individuals with various types of postsecondary educational experiences, highlighting differences between students who have pursued technical programs, those who have pursued academic programs and those who have not pursued postsecondary education. Employs a triage model suggesting that employer-employee matches…

Discusses how El Paso Community College (Texas) linked welfare-to-work participants to college credit programs that offer realistic pathways to certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor degrees. Stresses training for employment that offers a living wage over immediate employment. (AUTH/NB)

This study examines whether differences in high school curricula lead to differences in labor market opportunities for persons who complete 10 to 12 years of schooling and acquire no postsecondary training. Data were gathered beginning in 1979 from a national longitudinal survey of youth. Researchers studied detailed information on coursework…

Using data from three longitudinal surveys of American high school students, shows that vocational courses helped noncollege-bound students start their work life more successfully. Short- and medium-term payoffs to vocational courses rose substantially between 1972 and 1980 and remained high in 1992. Job-specific skills are valuable. (26…

A study compared the records of high school graduates in respect to curriculum type and high school education, postsecondary education, and work experience for Lancaster and Lebanon Counties in Pennsylvania. Data were collected through questionnaires mailed to all graduates from the years 1982, 1985, and 1988 and from high school transcripts. The…

A study used federal income tax data to examine the long-term earning, unemployment, and interregional mobility patterns among 15,055 persons who graduated from 14 Ohio vocational education programs in 1979. Income data on the graduates' income earned during the 1983 tax year were also compared with U.S. Census Bureau data on 1983 Money Income of…