22 – 1. THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE OF SKILLS Most targeted career preparation therefore takes place at postsecondary level, in programs which would be one or two years in length if they were pursued full-time, but in practice are often undertaken part-time. It includes two-year associate degrees mainly in community colleges, certificates of less than two years also earned in community colleges and in many for-profit training institutions (see figures 1.2 and 1.3), industry-recognized certifications – typically delivered through an examination organized by an industry or profession, and (in much smaller numbers) apprenticeships – particularly in the construction industry. Many of those involved are adults rather than recent high school graduates. Figure 1.2 Number of undergraduate credentials awarded by Title IV postsecondary institutions, by degree and program content 2010 1800000 1600000 1400000 1200000 1000000
CTE
800000
Academic
600000 400000 200000 0 Bachelor's degree Associate's degree
Certificate
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, Career/Technical Education Statistics (2013), U.S. Background Information Prepared for the OECD Postsecondary Vocational Education and Training “Skills Beyond School” Study. Washington, http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ctes/pdf/PostsecVET.pdf
OECD REVIEWS OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING: A SKILLS BEYOND SCHOOL REVIEW OF THE UNITED STATES © OECD 2013