| Vocational education is postsecondary (high school) | | | | Speciality schools, such as Florida's DAVE School |
| education that focus on teaching a specific practical | | | | (Digital Animation and Visual Effects) are also on the |
| trade, rather than a more abstract education set that | | | | rise. These schools are outside state and federal |
| is achieved through a liberal arts education. For many | | | | funding, but attendance can still be supported by |
| years vocational education had the stigma that it was | | | | federal and state loans and grants. These schools are |
| for people who couldn't make it - for one reason or | | | | founded for a number of reasons, typically growing |
| another - into college, it is now making a resurgence | | | | out of a company's desire to improve the quality of |
| as many technical trades need highly sophisticated | | | | their recruits or by people or by industry |
| training but not the liberal arts background - or tuition | | | | professionals that want to help the younger |
| expense and time - that a four year college provides, | | | | generation break into a technical aspect of a career |
| they are the blacksmiths of the modern era. | | | | that other postsecondary education options to not |
| There are many sources for this type of education, | | | | support. |
| including community colleges that provide lower level | | | | By focusing on a specific skill set, these schools are |
| general college courses as well as purely vocational | | | | able to provide detailed and industry useful education |
| programs that depend on the needs of their | | | | in a shorter time period than four year programs. |
| community, include, but not limited to, nursing and | | | | This advantage is offset by the limited credibility of |
| dental programs. Many community colleges also offer | | | | vocational programs outside their specific career |
| certification programs to help develop IT careers. | | | | fields. This is the trade off for the narrow focus of |
| The U.S. Department of Education's Office of | | | | the education provided. When considering starting a |
| Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) is responsible | | | | vocational program, this must be taken into account, |
| for providing a unified federal approach to vocational | | | | more so than with college, participants in vocational |
| education, though each state is still responsible for its | | | | programs must have a clear focus and commitment |
| own implementation. OVAE also administers the | | | | to their specific goal. Yet, for the people with that |
| Perkins grant program, providing easier access to the | | | | focus, vocational training and the careers that follow |
| programs to people of all income levels. | | | | can provide an enriching life experience. |