The Federal Role in Vocational-Technical EducationBy: James Jacobs & W. Norton Grubb — March 2003.CCRC Brief No. 18 New York: Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University.The federal government first began to support
vocational education with the Smith-Hughes Act of
1917. Its passage was controversial since there was considerable opposition to a federal role in education, which was a state responsibility. Since that time, the federal government has had constant involvement with vocational education through Smith-Hughes and its successor acts, including the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act, which is currently in effect.
As recent legislation has primarily focused on supporting academic achievement, it is as yet unclear what the federal government’s approach toward vocational education will be. This brief discusses what the current vocational education needs are, and then outlines why the states are unable to meet them completely and why assistance by the federal
government is justified.
This Brief is based on Implementing the "Education Consensus": The Federal Role in Supporting Vocational-Technical Education, written in March 2002, at the
request of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) of
the U.S. Department of Education. It is a general statement on the
potential federal role in vocational education. View PDF version
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