Vocational education can be a lucrative1 opportunity for students looking to learn new skills and secure a job faster. These programmes are incredibly diverse and can help you become an expert in a specialised field， like welding or graphic designing2. Learning about these educational opportunities can prepare you to find and pursue a vocational job that aligns with your career goals and endeavours. In this article， we answer the question， “What is vocational education？” and review why it is important， explore the differences between vocational and traditional education and examine different types of vocational programmes.

对于想要掌握新技能并快速找到工作的学生而言，职业教育可以提供获利丰厚的发展机会。职教课程种类多样，能够帮助你成为焊接或平面设计等领域的专业技术人才。了解这些教育良机，可以让你找到与自己职业目标和职业发展相吻合工作岗位。本文将回答“什么是职业教育”这一问题，评析职业教育的重要性，探讨其与传统教育的区别，并审视不同类型的职业教育培训。

What is vocational education？

什么是职业教育？

Vocational education is any type of training， usually in the form of courses and hands-on3 instructional lessons， that teaches students the specialised skills required to perform a specific job. These types of programmes usually forgo traditional academic-based lessons in favour of hands-on learning. Students learn the fundamentals and capabilities of a specific occupation under the supervision of an active and highly experienced professional.

任何旨在传授学生特定岗位所需专业技能的培训都是职业教育，通常采用课堂教学和实践教学的形式。这类培训往往不设传统学术课程，更注重实践操作。学生由资深在职人员指导，学习特定工作的基础知识和专业技能。

Differences between vocational education and university education

职业教育与大学教育的区别

There are several differences between vocational education and traditional university education， including：

职业教育与传统的大学教育有几点不同，包括：

Programme focus

课程重点

Vocational educational programmes focus on teaching students trade skills that they can immediately apply to a specific job. These could include technical skills for jobs like plumbers， electricians， cosmetologists4 and firefighters. In contrast， university educational programmes typically focus more on teaching students theories and concepts. With less focus on immediately applicable skills， these students gain more academic knowledge and a much broader range of information， with varying levels of relevancy to their course of study.

职业教育课程侧重于传授学生能够直接用于上岗的行业技能，包括管道工、电工、美容师和消防员这些岗位所需的技能。相比而言，大学课程往往注重传授学生理论知识和概念。大学生不太注重立竿见影的技术技能，他们要掌握更多的学术知识，获取更广的信息，而这些东西或多或少地与其所学专业有关。

Time to complete

完成时间

Vocational education programmes disregard most of the theory and philosophy based coursework. With fewer courses to take， these students can gain their desired qualifications in a much shorter amount of time. Students can complete many of these programmes in just a few months. In comparison， traditional university students usually need between two to four years to obtain their qualifications. Depending on their specific career goals， this number can reach upwards of eight to 10 years.

职业教育舍弃了大部分理论研究课业。由于课程较少，学生便可以在更短的时间内取得想要的资格证书。大部分专业都可以在短短几个月内完成。相比之下，传统大学的学生通常需要两到四年才能修得学位。完成学业的时间还可以长达八到十年，具体依个人职业目标而定。

Costs

所需费用

Because vocational programmes have a short duration and fewer courses to complete， they are usually more cost effective than traditional educational programmes. If you are someone who has a limited budget， then vocational education may be right for you. Universities can be expensive， even schools that are non-privatised. This expense can determine what level of education you receive and what job opportunities you can access.

职业教育学制短、课程少，因此通常比传统教育更具成本效益。如果你的预算有限，那么职业教育可能适合你。即使是非私立大学学费也往往很昂贵。这笔费用能够决定你的受教育水平和工作机会。

Types of job opportunities

工作机会

Vocational education programmes prepare students primarily for blue-collar and physical labour based jobs. As you gain more expertise in these jobs， you may be able to move up in the rankings and obtain more lucrative managerial roles. Contemporary university education prepares students mostly for white-collar， office jobs. These jobs usually involve more mental work or internet-based technologies. The job opportunities that these students can access are usually broader and less defined. The industry or occupation that a university graduate enters may not directly correlate with the qualification they earned.

职业教育主要培养学生从事蓝领和体力劳动的工作。随着工作技能的提升，你可能实现职位晋升，走上收入更高的管理岗位。而当代大学的教育则主要培养学生从事白领和办公室的工作。这些工作大多需要脑力劳动或基于互联网的技术。大学生的工作机会更加广泛，选择不那么受限。大学毕业生进入的行业或从事的职业与其学历不一定直接相关。

Different types of vocational education

职业教育的不同类型

Vocational education can be accomplished through many channels， and at varying points in someone’s career. Here are some different resources for receiving vocational training：

接受职业教育可以通过多种渠道，可以在职业生涯的不同阶段实现。以下是接受职业培训的一些资源：

High school CTE programmes

高中CTE课程

CTE5 programmes are for high school students hoping to gain work experience in a variety of trades， as well as continue their academic studies. This type of vocational training is usually a part of a high school curriculum， but students can also attend separate vocational training centres. These vocational training programmes allow students to explore different career choices and prepare for industry-specific work or advanced education. In most vocational training programmes at this level， students continue to pursue their high school diploma while completing their training.

CTE课程面向有志于在继续高中学业的同时丰富各种行业工作经验的学生。这类职业培训通常是高中课程的一部分，但学生也可以去专门的职业培训中心学习。通过这些培训课程，学生可以探索不同的职业可能性，为从事某一行业或接受高等教育做好准备。在大部分这一层次的职业培训课程中，学生一边完成培训，一边读高中。

Tech Prep education

技术准备教育

Tech Prep programmes serve as an intermediary6 between secondary and post-secondary vocational training to prepare students for high-tech careers. Through collaboration between the two institutions， Tech Prep programs combine at least two years of secondary and two years of postsecondary education. The programme usually results in either a certificate or an associate’s degree in a particular field of study.

技术准备课程是中等和高等职业培训之间的一种衔接，为学生从事高技术职业做准备。通过中等和高等教育机构之间的合作，技术准备课程结合了至少两年的中等教育和两年的高等教育。结业之后，学生往往可以获得特定专业的资格证书或者副学士学位。

Postsecondary vocational school

高等职业学校

Sometimes referred to as trade schools， postsecondary vocational schools are another viable option for individuals considering pursuing a four-year college degree. They offer degree programmes and vocational certificates. This option usually caters to working adults by offering night and weekend course options.

高等职业学校（postsecon-dary vocational school）有时也称为trade school。对于准备攻读四年制大学学位的学生而言，这是另一个切实可行的选择方案。这种学校开设学位课程，颁发职业资格证书，还提供晚间和周末课程以满足在职成人的需求。

Apprenticeship programmes

学徒制课程

Apprenticeship programmes are trade-specific and can last as long as four or five years. In these types of programmes， the apprentice or student works under the supervision of a professional in their trade and they gain compensation for the work. This type of vocational training is most common in highly-skilled， hands-on professions. Apprenticeships typically combine on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Because some apprenticeships include classroom courses， they can result in a certification or degree. A major benefit of this type of training is the fact that it is an educational programme in which the student also receives payment for their work.

学徒制课程针对具体行业，培训可长达四到五年。在这类课程中，学徒或学生在行业专家指导下工作，并获得相应的报酬。这类职业培训在技术含量高、实践性强的行业中最为常见。学徒制通常结合在职培训与课堂指导。有些学徒培训包括了课堂教学，因此还会有证书或者学位。此类培训的一大好处是：学生在接受教育培训的过程中获得劳动报酬。

On-the-job training

在职培训

Most on-the-job training is either done through an employer or a third-party training provider sourced by the employer. It is common for companies to provide employees with job-specific training as well as training in general employment skills， such as human resources training， training on how to work well in a team or computer skills training. These skills can prove valuable in an employee’s current position， as well as in any future employment opportunities. When learning a skill through on-the-job training， new employees can expect to pair with an ex-perienced professional. Classroom instruction has its uses for on-the-job training， but it is typically only seen when a company develops practical training into an apprenticeship programme.

大部分在职培训是由雇主或雇主指定的第三方机构来提供。公司通常会为员工提供特定工作的培训以及一般技能的培训，如人力资源培训、团队合作培训或计算机技能培训。无论是对员工目前的履职抑或未来的就业，这些技能都有用武之地。在职培训的过程中，新员工可以与资深行家结成对子。课堂指导也能用于在职培训，但通常只有公司将实务培训发展成学徒制课程时才会提供这种课堂指导。

Standalone courses

独立课程

Professionals hoping to develop their skills and improve their marketability can usually take standalone7 courses. These courses are available to non-degree-seeking students. Reasons for people to take this route for continuing their education and professional development can vary based on their specific needs.

希望拓展技能和提高竞争力的专业人士往往可以选修独立课程。这些课程适用于不求学位的学生。至于为何选择这种继续教育和职业发展的途径，每个人的需求和理由都不尽相同。

Distance learning programmes

远程学习课程

Another great option for learning or expanding a set of skills is by enrolling in a distance education programme. Many distance learning courses allow students to work through materials and lesson plans at their own pace， making it perfect for working professionals. However， some programmes may require students to be logged in at specific times or follow a course schedule. Before signing up for a distance learning programme， be sure to research the institution thoroughly， making sure that they are legitimate as well as accredited8.

还有一种掌握技术或拓展技能的好办法：报名远程学习课程。许多远程课程允许学生按照自己的节奏安排学习进度、完成课程计划，因而非常适合在职的专业人员。不过，有些课程可能会要求学生在规定时间登录或者按照课表学习。在报名远程教育之前，务必对相关机构进行充分了解，确保其是官方认证的合法机构。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者；单位：香港中文大学）

1 lucrative获利多的；赚大钱的。  2 graphic designing平面设计。  3 hands-on亲身实践的。

4 cosmetologist美容师。

5 CTE全称为Career and Technical Education（职业技术教育）。2006年，美国正式将相关立法中的vocational education一词改为career and technical education。

6 intermediary过渡的；中介。

7 standalone单独的；独立的。  8 accredited经官方认可的。