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WELCOME TO TECHNICAL EDUCATION MAGAZINE!

Technical Education Magazine ONLINE and IN PRINT, encourages, enlightens and inspires educators in the Technical, Technology, Industrial, Vocational, and Pre-Engineering Fields.  Leaders of Industry ensure continued relevance to our audience needs.  Over 160,00 Professionals in 14,750 School Districts are influenced by our service.  Total coverage of the Technical Programs is in Junior College, Vocational Schools, High Schools and Middle Schools.

There are a number of serious concerns that us here, at Technical Education Magazine would like to address and that we hope to alleviate.

A recent report of the Education Development Committee (EDVC) identified three issues that “drive the need" for quality, standards-based technical education:

• Global price pressure dictates that U.S. manufacturers must compete less on cost than on product design, productivity, flexibility, quality, and responsiveness to customers.
• Individuals entering the workforce and those displaced from jobs require specialized skills to fully exploit the potential of new technologies in all areas of the manufacturing operation. In addition, products are becoming more complex and technologically sophisticated.
• Baby Boomers are approaching retirement, creating a need for 10 million skilled workers. 

These issues would seem to suggest to students, their parents, and educators that manufacturing is a potentially fertile ground for career growth.  Unfortunately, that isn’t the case.  Manufacturing, according to the EDVC report, suffers an “image problem” among students, parents, and educators, who do not see it as a “viable career option."

Because of this perception, students find themselves directed toward four-year degrees as their path to success, despite contrary career trends.  The EDVC points out that 47 percent of four-year degree holders report being underemployed, while many jobs requiring technical degrees or short-term certification go unfilled.

Furthermore, fully half of the 70 percent of high school graduates who enroll in four-year programs drop out before finishing a degree.  Many with bachelor’s degrees are returning to community colleges to pursue training to compete for good-paying manufacturing jobs. The EDVC reports that four-year college grads are the fastest growing group enrolling in two-year colleges.

All of this leads to our purpose here at Technical Education magazine.  We want to work for and with employers, educators, parents, students, and education suppliers to strengthen the field of technical education:

• To help manufactures and other employers to find people with the skills to fill their personnel shortages;
• To connect those employers with educators in cooperative programs;
• To demonstrate to parents that technical education is not a track for losers, a “dumping ground” for sub-par students;
• To provide educators with the information about programs, products, and services that can help them develop the future workforce; and
• To convince students that a four-year degree is not the only path to a successful, fulfilling career.

You are, without doubt, already aware of much of what we’ve reported here. You already understand the need for quality technical education and the concerns regarding the future of the American workforce and economy.

Please join us in our endeavor, whether as contributor, advertiser, supporter, or reader. We are here to serve you.  With your help, we can do much to improve technical education for all concerned.

                                                                Publisher