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.

對于想要掌握新技能并快速找到工作的學生而言，職業(yè)教育可以提供獲利豐厚的發(fā)展機會。職教課程種類多樣，能夠幫助你成為焊接或平面設計等領域的專業(yè)技術人才。了解這些教育良機，可以讓你找到與自己職業(yè)目標和職業(yè)發(fā)展相吻合工作崗位。本文將回答“什么是職業(yè)教育”這一問題，評析職業(yè)教育的重要性，探討其與傳統(tǒng)教育的區(qū)別，并審視不同類型的職業(yè)教育培訓。

What is vocational education？

什么是職業(yè)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.

任何旨在傳授學生特定崗位所需專業(yè)技能的培訓都是職業(yè)教育，通常采用課堂教學和實踐教學的形式。這類培訓往往不設傳統(tǒng)學術課程，更注重實踐操作。學生由資深在職人員指導，學習特定工作的基礎知識和專業(yè)技能。

Differences between vocational education and university education

職業(yè)教育與大學教育的區(qū)別

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

職業(yè)教育與傳統(tǒng)的大學教育有幾點不同，包括：

Programme focus

課程重點

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.

職業(yè)教育課程側重于傳授學生能夠直接用于上崗的行業(yè)技能，包括管道工、電工、美容師和消防員這些崗位所需的技能。相比而言，大學課程往往注重傳授學生理論知識和概念。大學生不太注重立竿見影的技術技能，他們要掌握更多的學術知識，獲取更廣的信息，而這些東西或多或少地與其所學專業(yè)有關。

Time to complete

完成時間

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.

職業(yè)教育舍棄了大部分理論研究課業(yè)。由于課程較少，學生便可以在更短的時間內(nèi)取得想要的資格證書。大部分專業(yè)都可以在短短幾個月內(nèi)完成。相比之下，傳統(tǒng)大學的學生通常需要兩到四年才能修得學位。完成學業(yè)的時間還可以長達八到十年，具體依個人職業(yè)目標而定。

Costs

所需費用

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.

職業(yè)教育學制短、課程少，因此通常比傳統(tǒng)教育更具成本效益。如果你的預算有限，那么職業(yè)教育可能適合你。即使是非私立大學學費也往往很昂貴。這筆費用能夠決定你的受教育水平和工作機會。

Types of job opportunities

工作機會

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.

職業(yè)教育主要培養(yǎng)學生從事藍領和體力勞動的工作。隨著工作技能的提升，你可能實現(xiàn)職位晉升，走上收入更高的管理崗位。而當代大學的教育則主要培養(yǎng)學生從事白領和辦公室的工作。這些工作大多需要腦力勞動或基于互聯(lián)網(wǎng)的技術。大學生的工作機會更加廣泛，選擇不那么受限。大學畢業(yè)生進入的行業(yè)或從事的職業(yè)與其學歷不一定直接相關。

Different types of vocational education

職業(yè)教育的不同類型

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：

接受職業(yè)教育可以通過多種渠道，可以在職業(yè)生涯的不同階段實現(xiàn)。以下是接受職業(yè)培訓的一些資源：

High school CTE programmes

高中CTE課程

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課程面向有志于在繼續(xù)高中學業(yè)的同時豐富各種行業(yè)工作經(jīng)驗的學生。這類職業(yè)培訓通常是高中課程的一部分，但學生也可以去專門的職業(yè)培訓中心學習。通過這些培訓課程，學生可以探索不同的職業(yè)可能性，為從事某一行業(yè)或接受高等教育做好準備。在大部分這一層次的職業(yè)培訓課程中，學生一邊完成培訓，一邊讀高中。

Tech Prep education

技術準備教育

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.

技術準備課程是中等和高等職業(yè)培訓之間的一種銜接，為學生從事高技術職業(yè)做準備。通過中等和高等教育機構之間的合作，技術準備課程結合了至少兩年的中等教育和兩年的高等教育。結業(yè)之后，學生往往可以獲得特定專業(yè)的資格證書或者副學士學位。

Postsecondary vocational school

高等職業(yè)學校

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.

高等職業(yè)學校（postsecon-dary vocational school）有時也稱為trade school。對于準備攻讀四年制大學學位的學生而言，這是另一個切實可行的選擇方案。這種學校開設學位課程，頒發(fā)職業(yè)資格證書，還提供晚間和周末課程以滿足在職成人的需求。

Apprenticeship programmes

學徒制課程

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.

學徒制課程針對具體行業(yè)，培訓可長達四到五年。在這類課程中，學徒或?qū)W生在行業(yè)專家指導下工作，并獲得相應的報酬。這類職業(yè)培訓在技術含量高、實踐性強的行業(yè)中最為常見。學徒制通常結合在職培訓與課堂指導。有些學徒培訓包括了課堂教學，因此還會有證書或者學位。此類培訓的一大好處是：學生在接受教育培訓的過程中獲得勞動報酬。

On-the-job training

在職培訓

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.

大部分在職培訓是由雇主或雇主指定的第三方機構來提供。公司通常會為員工提供特定工作的培訓以及一般技能的培訓，如人力資源培訓、團隊合作培訓或計算機技能培訓。無論是對員工目前的履職抑或未來的就業(yè)，這些技能都有用武之地。在職培訓的過程中，新員工可以與資深行家結成對子。課堂指導也能用于在職培訓，但通常只有公司將實務培訓發(fā)展成學徒制課程時才會提供這種課堂指導。

Standalone courses

獨立課程

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競爭力的專業(yè)人士往往可以選修獨立課程。這些課程適用于不求學位的學生。至于為何選擇這種繼續(xù)教育和職業(yè)發(fā)展的途徑，每個人的需求和理由都不盡相同。

Distance learning programmes

遠程學習課程

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.

還有一種掌握技術或拓展技能的好辦法：報名遠程學習課程。許多遠程課程允許學生按照自己的節(jié)奏安排學習進度、完成課程計劃，因而非常適合在職的專業(yè)人員。不過，有些課程可能會要求學生在規(guī)定時間登錄或者按照課表學習。在報名遠程教育之前，務必對相關機構進行充分了解，確保其是官方認證的合法機構。

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎者；單位：香港中文大學）

1 lucrative獲利多的；賺大錢的。 2 graphic designing平面設計。 3 hands-on親身實踐的。

4 cosmetologist美容師。

5 CTE全稱為Career and Technical Education（職業(yè)技術教育）。2006年，美國正式將相關立法中的vocational education一詞改為career and technical education。

6 intermediary過渡的；中介。

7 standalone單獨的；獨立的。 8 accredited經(jīng)官方認可的。