Impacts of the High Technologies on Vocational and Technical Education

Abstract

The industrial nations of the world are in the turbulent times of a structural shift from an industrial society to a technological society. This shift is evident in the unprecedented rate and scope of change in science and technology. The infusion of high technologies that constitute the automated factory or the factory of the future is having and will continue to have a profound impact on vocational and technical education. Institutions of secondary and postsecondary occupational education must develop processes to (1) plan and manage strategically, (2) upgrade curriculum and methods of instruction to reflect state-of-the-art technology, (3) develop programs that focus on human resource development, and (4) demonstrate an adequate return on investment in terms of value added to individuals and society. These issues must be addressed if there is to be a closer relationship between occupational education and the economy, and if this nation's people are to be the beneficiaries of science and technology.

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