Community colleges have long had multiple missions. The first community college was designed to relieve elite colleges of the burden of educating 18- and 19-year-olds. Thus, it was initially conceived of as a transfer institution--students would go on to upper division courses at a four-year college once they had matured and were ready for more…

This article explores how quality is negotiated and challenged when two Norwegian rural schools cooperate with the local community and businesses. The article builds on three sub-studies on two upper secondary schools in the process of merging in the areas of follow-up services, physical school environment and leadership. Several methodological…

Despite the growing demand and availability of non-degree workforce training, outcomes for these programs are mixed. For some, non-degree programs are a faster, more affordable pathway to a good job, and, more importantly, a career that offers economic security--they represent the future of education. But for others, non-degree programs are a…

Career technical education is an essential element for the workforce development needs of employers in the United States of America. The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021 has created challenges for higher education and has affected the lives of faculty and students in different ways. The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenology study was…

Hart shares the story of a high school student who was unmotivated by traditional academic work and on a downward trajectory--until he enrolled in a program that allowed him to take vocationally oriented classes at a community college while in high school. Content that was relevant and meaningful to him (EMT and firefighter training) led Max to…

The current research investigates the employment outcomes of Career Technical Education (CTE) from California community colleges. We used three years of data from the California Community Colleges Career Technical Education Outcomes Survey -- a survey of former community college students. We documented overall positive employment outcomes.…

This study examined the relationship of a medium-sized coastal community college with African American males' choices concerning college transfer or career and technical education. The studied college serves two counties, forming a diverse community located in a southeastern North Carolina city. The combined population of both counties was nearly…

This study sought to better understand present-day relationships between institutional and programmatic characteristics and their impact on student outcomes at postsecondary career and technical schools. This is critical given: (a) the existence of a significant middle-skills gap impacting the U.S. economy; (b) a lack of research and guidance for…

Significant concerns have been raised about supplying sufficient numbers of qualified and experienced information and communications technology (ICT) workers to meet the ongoing demands of the industry. This paper explores how professional identity and self-interest shape the career choices of ICT students. In-depth semi-structured interviews were…

Manufacturing in advanced open economies has experienced significant disruption. Rapid technological change, outsourcing and off shoring have beset manufacturing resulting in a general and steady decline in manufacturing employment. Despite this turbulence, there remains a strong nostalgia for manufacturing resulting in frequent public policy…

The newly created Office of Indian Education (OIE) at the Oregon Department of Education is pleased to share the new strategic American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Student Success Plan. This five-year state plan will guide agency decision-making through 2020-2025. This plan provides Oregon communities with a refreshed mission that centers shared…

Previous studies on blended learning (BL) have explored students' satisfaction, perception, and motivation. However, there remains a notable gap in the literature concerning the impact of group collaboration on students' learning experiences within blended learning environments. Using a qualitative approach, this study explores what 30 Thai…

The current analysis foregrounded postsecondary agriculture, food, and natural resources (AFNR) education programs through an analysis of learning community, social community, general self-efficacy, and major commitment. Analysis identified statistically significant differences in major commitment perceived by year in school, with students earlier…

Despite the growing demand and availability of non-degree workforce training, outcomes for these programs are mixed. For some, non-degree programs are a faster, more affordable pathway to a good job, and, more importantly, a career that offers economic security--they represent the future of education. But for others, non-degree programs are a…

This study adapted a participatory action research (PAR) approach as part of student-staff collaboration aimed at co-producing a research-engaged pedagogy to provide vocational students with access to curricular opportunities to develop their academic capabilities. This article focuses on the co-creation process between seven multidisciplinary…