Definition

Vocational is a broad term relating to employment or a specific occupation. Though vocational at times is associated with remedial education or stigmatized as being for people deemed less intelligent, such classes could be offered at the high school, community college, or four-year college level, as well as particular trade schools. When discussing vocational education, it’s important to remember that it is not intrinsically inferior to a more “traditional” four-year undergraduate education.

Additional resources

• Vocational Education (National Center for Education Statistics)
• The troubled history of vocational education (American Public Media Reports)

Summary

Vocational is a broad term relating to employment or a specific occupation. When discussing vocational education, it’s important to remember that it is not intrinsically inferior to a more “traditional” four-year undergraduate education.

Related terms

• blue-collar/pink-collar
• working class