ERIC Number: ED311263
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1988
Pages: 39
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
A Follow-up Study of the 1988 Graduates of Postsecondary Vocational Programs in Montana.
Northern Montana Coll., Havre. Montana Center for Vocational Education, Research, Curriculum and Personnel Development.
A follow-up study was conducted of the 1988 graduates of vocational-technical centers, three community colleges, and Northern Montana College. Data were gathered through a survey form mailed to 714 graduates (from a sample of 1,258), yielding 300 responses (43 percent). Approximately 33 percent of the respondents received a degree in technical studies or business, 16 percent in health, 13 percent in general studies, and 6 percent in agricultural program areas. Some of the findings of the study were as follows: (1) more than one-third of the graduates intend to pursue more education, and about half were undecided; (2) almost three-fourths of the graduates indicated that their completed coursework was good to excellent in meeting their continuing education needs; (3) 87 percent of the respondents considered their coursework to be of immediate or long-term direct benefit to their career plans; (4) graduates rated ancillary services highly, except placement services, which may have suffered by comparison because of the sluggish economy; and (5) graduates related a high level of satisfaction with the usefulness of the programs and training received for performing their present jobs. The study recommended that annual follow-up studies be conducted in order to ensure that Montana's postsecondary vocational-technical education programs continue to be relevant to student needs and the job market. An addendum supplementing this follow-up study is attached. It contains two tables which relate the employment status of the graduates and reported salary by programs completed. (KC)
Descriptors: Educational Attitudes, Graduate Surveys, Job Satisfaction, Outcomes of Education, Participant Satisfaction, Postsecondary Education, Program Attitudes, Program Effectiveness, State Programs, Technical Education, Two Year Colleges, Vocational Education, Vocational Followup, Vocational Schools
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Montana State Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, Helena.
Authoring Institution: Northern Montana Coll., Havre. Montana Center for Vocational Education, Research, Curriculum and Personnel Development.
Identifiers - Location: Montana
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A