Rapid technological advances in manufacturing and other industrial fields have created a need to “totally restructure vocational programs,” John Lewis, NIU corporate relations director, said.

“Our present vocational education system has failed to adapt as our economy has changed from one based on manufacturing to one based on technology and service,” Lewis said.

Lewis suggests a cooperative regional vocational program be developed between high schools, community colleges and local businesses in which resources are pooled to provide up-to-date facilities where students can learn more effectively.

A liberal arts and sciences, undergraduate-oriented university such as NIU needs to make a greater difference between its vocational and professional training, he said.

Lewis said vocational education involves learning skills that can be used in different careers, instead of training students for a specific job. This could be achieved by having students split their school day between classes and practical work at a local business.

Twenty percent of the U.S. labor force currently works in manufacturing, and that figure could shrink to 12 or 15 percent by the end of this century, Lewis said.