Qualifications to develop your expertise as a vocational education leader

Are you an aspiring educator in the vocational sector? You might be interested in pursuing a master of adult and vocational education or a related degree.

Considering the time commitment and cost of attending a traditional four-year college or university, more and more individuals are contemplating foregoing this option and taking the vocational education and training route. 

It hasn’t achieved the same level of prestige as their four-year degree counterparts, but the route can be equally fulfilling for students and remain in demand, despite a pandemic on hand.

Vocational training needed for future workforce worldwide

A McKinsey report on reskilling China’s labour market for the next decade notes that demand for technical jobs could increase by 51%. China has long been supporting vocational education.

According to local reports, in 2019, over a million students were enrolled in vocational schools in China. 

The number of vocational schools and enrolled students continues to grow, bolstered, in part, to China’s efforts in promoting vocational education while maintaining a series of favourable policies, said People’s Daily, China.

In the US, the 2020 Construction Outlook Survey by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) found that 81% of construction firms have trouble filling both salaried and hourly craft positions, while 72% anticipate labour shortages to be the biggest hurdle in the next year.

It’s clear that vocational education will be critical in the future of work, but equally essential are trainers and educators in the field. 

Becoming an education leader in the field

If you’re eager to educate future leaders in the field, several universities in Australia offer related degrees in the field. 

Charles Sturt University, for instance, notes that its programme provides students with an ideal way to establish themselves as a highly competent and well-informed adult and vocational education leaders and practitioners.

The programme provides students with an advanced and integrated understanding of adult and vocational education and caters for a wide range of teaching, training, or learning management roles within the adult and vocational sector.

It can equip students with the knowledge and skills to enhance teaching in their technical or vocational area across a broad range of adult and vocational education institutions.

The University of Wollongong Australia offers the Master of Education (Adult and Vocational Education) for those looking to improve their practice or advance their career in adult and further education. 

“This degree offers sound theoretical foundations and extensive practical skills that address the broader aspects of education and training. You will have the opportunity to incorporate electives from other education areas such as Educational Leadership or Digital Technologies for Learning (DTL) in order to tailor your degree,” it said.

Current or aspiring educators, coordinators and leaders of organisations such as professional or community education providers, TAFE and private colleges will benefit from studying this degree, it notes.