AN ASSESSMENT OF THE TWO-YEAR VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS AT PLATTE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE BASED ON A FOLLOW-UP OF THE GRADUATES FROM MAY, 1974, THROUGH MAY, 1979

The Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of all vocational programs at Platte Technical Community College from 1974 through May, 1979, as perceived by graduates and by selected employers of those graduates. The Procedure. To obtain the information needed for this investigation, a questionnaire was designed and mailed to 177 Associate of Applied Science graduates at Platte Technical Community College from May, 1974, through May, 1979. A second questionnaire was designed and mailed to 25 selected employers. Usable questionnaires were received from 114 (67 percent) graduates and 23 (92 percent) employers. Findings. (1) Personal fulfillment, opportunity for job advancement and earning potential, and opportunity to select elective courses were the three vocational program outcomes most favored by graduates. (2) The strengths of the vocational programs regarding the graduates\u27 curriculum/instructional experiences at Platte Technical Community College were faculty-student relationships, variety of course offerings, and the quality of instruction in major area programs. (3) The most-favored instructional methods were lecture, contract with instructor, discussion groups, and open-labs. (4) The general education courses considered of most value and the courses the graduates believed should be required were Consumer Problems, Human Relations and Motivation, Psychology of the Family, Creative Problem Solving, Language and Thought, and Development of Life. (5) A majority of graduates rated the education at Platte Technical Community College as good or excellent. (6) Three-fourths of the graduates indicated they would recommend Platte Technical Community College to others. Conclusions. Graduates were generally satisfied with the vocational programs and general education courses at Platte Technical Community College. They further indicated that the vocational programs were pertinent to job attainment and job requirements. All the employers found the occupational training of PTCC graduates adequate in the areas of attitudes and abilities and technical and communication skills, and a majority of the employers emphasized the helpfulness of the AAS degree in employment and promotion practices