In response to new realities encountered in the workplace, vocational education legislation laid the foundations for serious restructuring early in 1990s. Most importantly, there was a call to integrate vocational and academic education and no longer instruct for narrowly defined skills and preparation for specific trades. Schools were encouraged to emphasize transferable skills that would enable students to function effectively in a diverse and competitive world of work. The goal was to make academic knowledge contextually relevant to all students while learning all aspects of an industry (see Grubb, 1996; SCANS, 1991; Stasz, Kaganoff, & Eden, 1994; Wirth, 1992).
The School-to-Work Opportunity Act (STWOA) of 1994 refined this movement by making explicit that all students should benefit from programs facilitating school-to-career transition. It also included work-based learning opportunities and connecting activities with postsecondary institutions to enhance students' academic/vocational preparation and career development. Broad guidelines suggested curricula featuring college preparation courses integrated with technical education to provide both academic and practical skills so that students could pursue further education or work. Fueled by these calls for change, Tech Prep, youth apprenticeship, career academies, and magnet school initiatives were promoted to deliver these educational promises (Grubb, 1996; Pauly, Kopp, & Haimson, 1995; Phelps, 1992; Rosenstock, 1991; Smith, 1995). This has been a remarkable movement that is challenging a well-rooted system resting on 80 years of vocational education void of strong connections with academic learning.