The need for high quality leadership in vocational education is as critical today as it has ever been. Some would argue that with the major education reform initiatives currently underway, quality leadership is even more important than at any time in the past. The importance and utilization of on-the-job experiences in the development of such leadership was the focus of this research. Based on the results of this study, on-the-job experiences can certainly be promoted as one effective, and perhaps indispensable, means for developing future leaders. Successful leaders participating in this study all had vivid positive memories of experiences which they said significantly effected their development as leaders. Further, the successful leaders advocated on-the-job activities that they believed could be used effectively in developing future leaders for vocational education. The findings of this study are consistent with studies in business and industry which also report that certain kinds of on-the-job experiences are effective for developing leaders.
It is important that current vocational education administrator-leaders take advantage of the opportunities they have for using on-the-job experiences to develop and improve the leadership capabilities of persons on their staffs who are preparing to assume new and more advanced leadership roles.