Massachusetts' vocational high schools are seeing record demand as families increasingly turn to trade education as a practical path to skilled careers — and college, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Once viewed as a last resort for underperforming students, the state's century-old vocational system has undergone a dramatic transformation. Enrollment has grown by about 25% since the 2011-12 school year, according to the Pioneer Institute, a public policy think tank cited by the Journal.
Administrators say the shift has been striking. In the 1990s and early 2000s, vocational schools struggled to attract applicants and were burdened by negative stereotypes. Today, demand far outpaces capacity.
Between 5,000 and 10,000 students are on waiting lists statewide, according to the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators.
Soaring interest has prompted the state to mandate a lottery-based admissions system for ninth graders beginning in fall 2026, although many schools already rely on lotteries due to limited space.
Students are using vocational training to clarify career goals before pursuing higher education.
At Worcester Technical High School, one top student earned certification as a nursing assistant while still in high school and is now on a premed track. Another student plans to combine plumbing skills with a business degree to open his own company.
Parents, too, are rethinking old assumptions — especially as concerns grow over artificial intelligence disrupting white-collar jobs.
The Journal reported that vocational schools are drawing more students from affluent communities, where families increasingly see hands-on skills as an economic safeguard.
"They realized their kids would have an advantage if they had a specialization they enjoyed," Ed Bouquillon, the former superintendent of Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School in Lexington, told the Journal.
Massachusetts' vocational model has gained national attention for its close collaboration with industry. State law requires schools to work with advisory committees made up of employers, helping ensure programs align with real-world workforce needs.
Education leaders say that combination of hands-on training and academics is the key to the system's success.
"This is a model for the country," Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School Superintendent Eric Duda told the Journal.
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