Office of Vocational and Technical Education
Vocational and Technical Education is committed to preparing all learners in the state for new jobs, roles, technologies and responsibilities. It is making every effort to meet the challenges of increasingly complex and diversified industries that by necessity exist and operate closer to the edge of excellence in order to thrive and prosper in a global economy. Indeed, the future of Mississippi depends on meeting the challenge of training its people for the workforce of the twenty-first century and equipping them with the foundation of skills, technical knowledge, personal qualities, and competencies necessary for successful participation in business and industry.
The Vocational and Technical Education System is prepared to meet the changing needs of business and industry and to develop a quality workforce for a profitable economy in Mississippi. Vocational and Technical Education provides Mississippi:
Agriculture | Family & Consumer Sciences - Occupational |
Marketing Education | Trade and Industrial |
Cooperative Education | Health |
Technical | Family & Consumer Sciences - General |
Business | Work-Based Learning |
Career Discovery | Technology Education - Technology Discovery, Science and Technology, Technology Applications |
Computer Discovery |
The Mississippi Tech Prep Initiative helps prepare young people for tomorrow's highly technical careers. The initiative is based on principle of integrating academic and vocational education and proven applied teaching strategies. By combining innovative teaching methods and high-tech equipment, challenging, exciting classrooms have emerged. Coupled with six years of extensive career and educational planning, the Discovery Courses introduce all students to career opportunities and high-tech computer and technological skills. A brief description of the courses, objectives, and the number of Discovery programs in operation during the 1997-98 school year follows.
Career Discovery introduces seventh grade students to career opportunities and the skills needed for various career paths. An experimental hands-on is approach is used to make learning more fun for students. The course is designed to provide a variety of experiences and activities that promote self-awareness, career exploration, and educational planning related to students' future educational and occupational plans.
Course Goals
Program Code | Program Name | Number of Programs | Enrollment |
000251 | Career Discovery | 132 | 22,609 |
Computer Discovery exposes eighth grade students to a multimedia environment and fundamental computer skills. Using an innovative multimedia environment to make subject matter come alive, this course is designed to provide fundamental skills in operation of microcomputers, including an introduction to computers, keyboarding skills, operating systems using Windows, and file management skills. Real-world applications in word processing, graphics, databases, telecommunications, spreadsheets, and desktop publishing make the course exciting, relevant, and challenging.
Course Goals
Program Code | Program Name | Number of Programs | Enrollment |
000252 | Computer Discovery | 131 | 21,103 |
Technology Discovery enables ninth grade students to explore technology resources, processes, and systems that lead to enhanced career development and advanced education. The instruction consists of a well-structured series of technology based, hands-on learning activities, featuring self-contained, instructional modules with teams of learners participating in student-directed activities. Students learn through research, visualization, modeling, design, simulation, prototyping, journalizing, presentations, demonstrations, problem-solving techniques, role-playing, and testing.
Course Goals
Program Code | Program Name | Number of Programs | Enrollment |
000253 | Technology Discovery | 110 | 20,353 |
Acting as a cohesive agent in the Tech Prep Initiative is the counseling component. This component of Tech Prep is designed to organize and expand career development strategies, activities, and experiences that will assist ALL students in making realistic career plans. These plans are initiated in the seventh grade and updated annually through the twelfth grade.
Tech Prep in Mississippi is a carefully planned initiative that has grown to 217 sites throughout the state. Balancing rural and urban schools in all geographical areas of Mississippi, Tech Prep seeks to address vocational/technical and academic issues to enable all students committed to learning to gain the skills necessary for achieving increased economic independence.
Projections
Displayed below are data showing the number
of programs implemented (and projected for implementation) through the
1998-99 school year.
Program Code | Program Name | Number of Programs | |
1993-94 | 000251 | Career Discovery | 22 |
000252 | Computer Discovery | 22 | |
000253 | Technology Discovery | 17 | |
1994-95 | 000251 | Career Discovery | 61 |
000252 | Computer Discovery | 61 | |
000253 | Technology Discovery | 51 | |
1995-96 | 000251 | Career Discovery | 37 |
000252 | Computer Discovery | 37 | |
000253 | Technology Discovery | 29 | |
1996-97 | 000251 | Career Discovery | 15 |
000252 | Computer Discovery | 15 | |
000253 | Technology Discovery | 13 | |
1997-98 | 000251 | Career Discovery | 71 |
000252 | Computer Discovery | 71 | |
000253 | Technology Discovery | 63 | |
1998-99 | 000251 | Career Discovery | 80 |
000252 | Computer Discovery | 79 | |
000253 | Technology Discovery | 76 |
In 1994, the Mississippi Department of Education, in cooperation with the Mississippi Manufacturers Association, and other industry representatives convened a group of key stakeholders. The purpose of the meeting was to address the relevance of vocational-technical education training programs in meeting the needs of business/industry. Findings and recommendations from this meeting led to the piloting of a program entitled Work-Based Learning. This program blends classroom instruction (occupational/ academic) and structured learning experiences at the worksite. Work-Based Learning prepares students for current and future careers in a highly technical workplace by:
Program Code | Program Name | Number of Programs | Enrollment |
000255 | Work Based Learning | 9 | 298 |
The Mississippi Department of Education Office of Student Assessment, in cooperation with the Office of Vocational and Technical Education, is developing and implementing a customized vocational assessment program that will provide the basis for supporting Mississippi's progress in attaining its educational goals. The Mississippi Department of Education, under the leadership of the Office of Student Assessment and Vocational and Technical Education, through a committee of practitioners, has selected American College Testing (ACT) to produce a customized assessment program for implementing a vocational (work readiness and occupation-specific) assessment component of the Mississippi Career Planning and Assessment System (CPAS).
The following assessments has been initiated to fully implement the vocational assessment (work readiness and occupation-specific) component of the CPAS in 2001:
The Industrial Services Bureau of Office of Vocational and Technical Education administers the State Industrial Training program. Training is delivered through the fifteen community/junior colleges, each of which has an industrial coordinator. Coordinators function as liaisons between the community/college Vocational-Technical Departments, the Mississippi Department of Education, and industry.
Mission
New Industries Expansion Training Upgrade/Retraining |
In-plant School Mobile Units |
1997-98 Overview/Summary
Training Dollars | $4,452,790.00 |
Average Training Cost Per Slot | $45.85 |
Number Trained | 97,111 |
Enrichment Programs provide occupational
exploratory experiences and information about technology and the world
of work, consumerism, and the free enterprise system and include those
programs which foster leadership skills, increase the maturity level of
students, decrease dropouts, and promote effective human relations skills,
good work habits, and other life-management skills.
Program Code | Program Name | Number of Programs | Enrollment |
01.0391 | Agriculture Enrichment | 19 | 900 |
20.0101 | Comprehensive Consumer & Hmkg. | 69 | 6,792 |
21.0101 | Technology Education | 42 | 3,973 |
Basic vocational programs include a common
core of standardized basic skills for entrance into all vocational skill
programs or entry into semi-skilled occupations.
Program code | Program name | Number of programs | Enrollment |
00.0261 | Basic Vocational Agriculture | 21 | 796 |
00.0262 | Basic Skills Vocational Industrial | 16 | 1,083 |
00.0263 | Basic Vocational Business Commerce | 10 | 1,336 |
00.0264 | Basic Personal Services | 34 | 1,665 |
02.9990 | Introduction to Agriculture Science | 74 | 2,671 |
20.0192 | Family & Consumer Sciences | 218 | 28,609 |
Program
Enrollment Compared to Estimated and Projected
State Employment Needs
Secondary occupational programs are designed
and operated to provide for development of essential, program area specific,
occupational and entrepreneurial skills. Enrollment consists of students
in grades 10-12. Instruction in these programs is accomplished through
structured learning activities that integrate vocational and academic objectives.
Upon program completion individuals possess marketable job skills and may
choose to enter the workforce or pursue postsecondary education, either
directly or indirectly in a related occupational and technical area with
possibilities for advanced placement, or another postsecondary offering.
Program Code | Program Name | Number of Programs | Rank* |
080705 | General Retailing Operations | 33 | 1 |
520408 | General Office/Clerical & Typing | 99 | 2 |
511699 | Health Cluster (Nursing, Other) | 77 | 3 |
200401 | Institutional Food Workers Admin. | 37 | 4 |
200201 | Child Care & Guidance Workers & Mgr. | 37 | 5 |
470604 | Automotive Mechanics | 58 | 6 |
470699 | Vehicle & Mobile Equipment Mechanic | 16 | 7 |
010601 | Horticulture, General | 17 | 8 |
470603 | Auto/Automotive Body Repairer | 18 | 9 |
200301 | Clothing, Apparel, and Textiles Workers | 31 | 10 |
480508 | Welder/Welding Technologist | 15 | 11 |
010201 | Agricultural Mechanics, General | 4 | 12 |
460201 | Carpentry | 11 | 13 |
460302 | Electrician | 9 | 14 |
460490 | Building Trades, General | 72 | 15 |
521201 | Management Info. Systems & Bus Data | 1 | 16 |
480101 | Drafting, General | 24 | 17 |
470201 | Heating/Air Conditioning/Refrigeration | 3 | 18 |
470605 | Diesel Engine Mechanics | 3 | 19 |
460101 | Mason & Tile Setter | 8 | 20 |
159991 | Diversified Technology | 47 | 21 |
470606 | Small Engine Mechanic & Repairer | 4 | 22 |
470190 | Electronics | 12 | 23 |
010204 | Agricultural Power Machinery Operator | 28 | 24 |
200602 | Elder Care Provider/Companion | 1 | 25 |
470692 | Marine Engine Mechanics | 1 | 26 |
010303 | Aquaculture Operations/Production Mgmt | 1 | 27 |
480201 | Graphic & Printing Eqpt. Operators | 5 | 28 |
010401 | Agricultural & Food Products Processing | 1 | 29 |
030401 | Forest Harvesting & Production Tech. | 11 | 30 |
480790 | Furniture Manufacturing & Upholstery | 3 | 31 |
470690 | Industrial Maintenance Trade | 6 | 32 |
480503 | Machine Shop Assistant | 4 | 33 |
010101 | Agriculture Business & Mgmt., General | 22 | 34 |
010301 | Agricultural Production Workers & Mgrs. | 43 | 35 |
480590 | Metal Trades | 46 | 36 |
020101 | Agriculture Science | 54 | 37 |
*These rankings are based on Mississippi Employment Security Commission estimates of currently employed and projected to be employed data by CIP Code for the period 1995-2000, combined with Final Vocational Program Enrollment data for the 1997-98 school year. Program rankings presented in this table do not reflect program quality. Care should be exercised in the use of these data for decision-making purposes. If more information is needed, please contact the Office of Vocational and Technical Education.
Postsecondary occupational programs are
designed and conducted to provide beginning, advanced, and technical, program
area specific, occupational and entrepreneurial preparation for skilled/technical
occupations. These programs are developed to reflect current and emerging
technologies in order to address the needs of industry and other employers.
State-of-the-art technology used in industry and integrated academic components
are incorporated in the curriculum. Upon completion of a postsecondary
occupational program, individuals have made preparation to enter skilled/technical
level occupations.
Program Code | Program Name | Number of Programs | Rank* |
521201 | Management Info. Systems & Bus. Data | 15 | 1 |
520401 | Administration Support Services | 37 | 2 |
511613 | Practical Nurse (LPN Training) | 29 | 3 |
200201 | Child Care & Guidance Workers & Mgrs. | 14 | 4 |
490205 | Truck/Bus/Other Commercial Vehicles | 6 | 5 |
460302 | Electrician | 13 | 6 |
470604 | Auto/Automotive Mechanic Technology | 20 | 7 |
200401 | Institutional Food Workers & Administrators | 6 | 8 |
081203 | Vehicle Parts & Accessories Mktg. Operations | 2 | 9 |
150303 | Electrical, Electronic/Communications Tech. | 19 | 10 |
480508 | Welder/Welding Technologies | 19 | 11 |
520902 | Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Management | 8 | 12 |
470201 | Heating/Air Conditioning/Refrigeration | 13 | 13 |
010501 | Agricultural Supplies Retail & Wholesale | 1 | 14 |
120403 | Cosmetology | 15 | 15 |
080102 | Fashion Merchandising | 2 | 16 |
510907 | Medical Radiologic Technology | 7 | 17 |
521401 | Business Marketing & Mktg. Management | 14 | 18 |
220103 | Paralegal/Legal Assistant | 5 | 19 |
470603 | Auto/Automotive Body Repairer | 11 | 20 |
460201 | Carpentry | 10 | 21 |
511614 | Nursing Assistant/Aide | 1 | 22 |
511004 | Medical Laboratory Technology | 7 | 23 |
480101 | Drafting, General | 20 | 24 |
010601 | Horticulture, General | 3 | 25 |
131501 | Teacher Assistant/Aide | 1 | 26 |
010605 | Landscaping Operation & Mgmt. | 3 | 27 |
510908 | Respiratory Therapy Technician | 9 | 28 |
510806 | Physical Therapy Assistant | 4 | 29 |
510601 | Dental Assistant | 2 | 30 |
510904 | Emergency Medical Technology | 5 | 31 |
150404 | Instrumentation Technology | 3 | 32 |
120402 | Barber/Hairstylist | 4 | 33 |
460501 | Plumber and Pipefitter | 4 | 34 |
470605 | Diesel Engine Mechanics | 5 | 35 |
520404 | Medical Administrative Assistant/Secretarial | 1 | 36 |
150405 | Robotics | 2 | 37 |
480303 | Upholsterer | 1 | 38 |
470692 | Marine Engine Mechanics | 2 | 39 |
510909 | Surgical/Operating Room Technician | 5 | 40 |
520801 | Finance, General | 1 | 41 |
510707 | Medical Records Technology | 3 | 42 |
490202 | Construction Equipment Operator | 2 | 43 |
470302 | Heavy Equipment Maintenance & Repairer | 3 | 44 |
120301 | Funeral Services & Mortuary Services | 3 | 45 |
510602 | Dental Hygienist | 2 | 46 |
510801 | Medical Assistant | 2 | 47 |
010607 | Turf Management | 1 | 48 |
470699 | Vehicle & Mobile Equipment Mechanics | 2 | 49 |
150402 | Computer Maintenance Technology | 2 | 50 |
460101 | Mason & Tile Setter | 4 | 51 |
470608 | Aircraft Mechanic/Technician (Powerplant) | 3 | 52 |
511801 | Opticianry/Dispensing Optician | 1 | 53 |
510808 | Veterinarian Assisting/Animal Health | 1 | 54 |
150603 | Industrial/Manufacturing Technology | 4 | 55 |
010190 | Agriculture Business & Mgmt., General | 1 | 56 |
150507 | Environmental & Pollution Control | 1 | 57 |
510803 | Occupational Therapy Assistant | 1 | 58 |
480208 | Printing Press Operator | 1 | 59 |
010204 | Agriculture Power & Machinery Operation | 1 | 60 |
010303 | Aquaculture Operations/Production Mgmt. | 1 | 61 |
480201 | Graphic/Printing Equipment Operators | 1 | 62 |
010299 | Agricultural Mechanization, Other | 1 | 63 |
500402 | Graphic Design, Commercial Art | 3 | 64 |
100104 | Radio/Television Broadcasting Technology | 1 | 65 |
100190 | Telecommunication | 1 | 66 |
150290 | Construction Materials Technology | 1 | 67 |
010492 | Food Products (Meats, Certificate) | 2 | 68 |
150201 | Civil Engineering/Civil Technology | 2 | 69 |
470391 | Well Drilling | 1 | 70 |
030401 | Forest Harvesting/Production Technology | 5 | 71 |
150101 | Architectural Design/Construction Trades | 2 | 72 |
480507 | Tool & Die Making | 4 | 73 |
470408 | Watch, Clock and Jewelry Repairer | 1 | 74 |
150690 | Automated Furniture Manufacturing | 1 | 75 |
520302 | Accounting Technology | 1 | 76 |
470390 | Industrial Maintenance Trades | 3 | 77 |
470103 | Communications System Installer | 3 | 78 |
010302 | Agricultural Animal Husbandry/Production | 1 | 79 |
520803 | Banking & Financial Support Serves | 1 | 80 |
480501 | Machinist/Machine Technologist | 1 | 81 |
010102 | Agricultural Business & Mgmt., General | 1 | 82 |
480506 | Sheet Metal | 2 | 83 |
470690 | Auto Machinist | 3 | 84 |
010104 | Farm & Ranch Management | 1 | 85 |
200301 | Clothing/Apparel/Textile Workers | 2 | 86 |
480503 | Machine Shop Assistant | 13 | 87 |
*These rankings are based on Mississippi
Employment Security Commission estimates of currently employed and projected
to be employed data by CIP Code for the period 1995-2000, combined with
Final Vocational Program Enrollment data for the 1997-98 school year. Program
rankings presented in this table do not reflect program quality. Care should
be exercised in the use of these data for decision-making purposes. If
more information is needed, please contact the Office of Vocational and
Technical Education.
The Developmental/Pilot Programs were created
to meet the specific industry needs of today's changing technology. These
innovative programs are designed to assist new and expanding industries
by training students and current employees with industry specific skills
and emerging technologies.
Program code | Program name | Number of Programs |
|
||
150992 | Technology Applications | 6 |
150607 | Plastics Technology | 2 |
Postsecondary | ||
000254 | Science & Technology | 4 |
190705 | Gerontology | 1 |
510805 | Pharmacy Technology/Assistant | 1 |
Click here to go to 1996-97 Vocational Education data