PUB TYPE Collected Works- Serials (022)-- Information

Students with special needs living in rural areas face a difficult challenge as they prepare for employment and adult life. Access to vocational education in rural areas may be limited by isolation, problems in teacher recruitment and retention, curriculum and instructional deficiencies, and weak financial support. In addition, program relevance and student outcomes are negatively influenced by outdated program offerings, lack of quality, limited relevance to the local job market and industry needs, lack of local job experience opportunities, and lack of recognition by rural educators of vocational education's role in decreasing both the likelihood and impact of worker layoffs or job displacements. Vocational education can play a key role in the economic growth of rural areas. The school can act as an agency of rural economic development; skill-specific vocational education can prepare student