Tailoring vocational education to adult needs

In this paper, the author suggests that adult vocational education has largely been ignored by the field of education and that an educational system that is poorly equipped to meet the needs of adults has developed over the years. The rapid rate of change dictates that educational opportunities need to be made available to adults throughout their lives. The paper examines critical questions regarding adult questions. These include: to what extent is vocational education prepared to assist and support the learning needs of adults?; what, if anything, is vocational education currently doing to serve adults?; and which groups should vocational education be attempting to serve? The author defines and discusses the background of adult vocational education, and then describes some vocational education systems and programs designed for adults. Selected adult populations with special needs for vocational education are examined and the paper concludes with some recommendations for the future. Show less