According to an article by Mikhail Zinshtevn who reports on higher education in California, a survey of 1000 registered voted in California reported 69% of voters “believe it is very important for the state’s public schools to put greater emphasis on preparing high school student who may not end up going to college to be successful in the workforce.”

David Stern, a UC Berkley professor, said “High school pathways designed to prepare students for both college and careers are more effective than career-prep by itself.” According to him, the best approach it to teach and prepare for further education and vocational skills. Some of the voters expressed support for community colleges and other vocational schools for apprenticeships and internships. Luckily for these supporters, California Community Colleges began a massive marketing campaign to show its “career-technical training programs”.

This survey doesn’t, however, let colleges and universities off the hook. Many voters expressed their concern with graduate’s lack of employment due to lack of vocational skills taught in courses.

Being a post-graduate myself, I would be on the side of the 69% of voters. At my high school, there were really no vocational classes offered. There was one home economics class, in which the students switched from sewing class to cooking class to child care. There was ROTC for the military inclined, but that is just about it. No wood shop, no car repair, nothing. Quite a few of the people I went to high school with were not interested in going to college and after they graduated, I wonder what they went on to do. I really hope that this survey’s results being released will prove to the state that some things need to be changed in our public-school system.