The Minneapolis Star from Minneapolis, Minnesota • Page 39

child; (Money achieving personal satisfaction rather than a good grade High school grades are noeven very closely related point, and Us deemphasis of failure. -V to a student's competence in technical fields, said How- ard Rosenwlnkel, director of vocational-technical educa- For many, vocational education Is a efferent and chal- tion for the Anoka-Hennepiii. School District In fact, he lenging field, while college would be merely a rehash of gaiL the more the program differs from an academic the general education they've already had, said William course, the less useful grades can be in predicting suc- Knaak, superintendent of the new area Vo-Tech Institute cess. I NEVER REALLY BELIEVED the high-voltage campaign by the cosmetics brewers that the American male was about to be rescued from his old crudities at the vanity table. serving Washington and Ramsey Counties.

THE MINNEAPOLIS TUESDAY," MAY 30, 1972 A UTTLE, DAB USED TO DO IT You remember how it was with even the most hot-blooded swells among us. We would take a Shower, shave, run two squirts of Wiidroot Creme Oil through our hair and fully expect' the sir! to YOUR AREA i NEWS 1 Another reason for the popularity of the state-support-. ed vocational-technical schools is nonexistent or low There is no tuition for Minnesota high school graduates who are under 21 or for nongraduates who have been out of school one year or more and are between 18 and 21. Eligible veterans pay pd tuition. For other schools, the fee varies.

At Austin, for Instance, the tuition is $8 a week. At one of the suburban Hennepin County sites, in Plymouth, tuition is $55 a month. Some state-supported schools have also made a special attempt to develop programs for the handicapped or the mentally retarded and take pride in finding productive careers for students "written off" in high school. 1 At the Anoka area vocational-technical school, for instance, about 14 percent of the enrollment consists of students who are either handicapped or mentally retarded. I 'III I 1 1 Ml 1, ll jlTMTM.

i SOUTH AND SUBURBAN (Last of two-part series) By SUE CHASTAIN Mlanaapolli Star SUff Writer Why ire so many students heading into vocational edu- cation, when a few years ago college was the accepted course? i yl -i i Charles Nichols, director of vocational, technical and' Industrial education for the Minneapolis public schools, often includes this explanation in speeches: 1 "Vocational education has long been the illegitimate child at the academic family reunion. Now, suddenly, the others are finding that the bastard has the job and the 1 money." i 5 Skip Sharp, a Cooper High School senior who's heading into a two-year electrical design and drafting course at the Anoka Area Vocational Technical School, said he i picked the program because "the Job market for electri- engineers Isn't exactly great. In design and drafting, I'll have quite a certain future." i ii. Many other students have concluded that they've got a better chance to get jobs with schooling in machine shop, carpentry or secretarial work than with a college' liberal arts degree. 5 Most vocation-technical school officials report that 90 percent or more of their 1971 graduates got jobs.

Alexandria, Bemidji, Hutchinson, Pipestone and Willmar put the placement figure at 95 percent or higher. Another attraction of vocational training is the likeli-hood that most of the jobs in the future will require specialized technical training. "We're moving from a philosophical society to a technological one," Nichols says. "Most of our national profit in the past 20 years was generated by people who de-: signed or made equipment. In the next 20 years, it will be generated by people who use this equipment, by technicians." Another reason students are turning to vocational-technical education is because they enjoy using the skills it teaches them.

"I figure I'll like a job in design and drafting more than being an electrical engineer," Skip Sharp said. Mary Iacono, a 26-year-old college graduate who is enrolled in a modern wood technology program, explained her decision this way: "I guess I realized that working with my hands was more what I wanted to do than getting A's in college. I realized I liked working with wood, I loved the smell of it and everything else, and I realized it was a more realistic occupation for me." Some have criticized and a half developing a hobby," she said. "But I think more peoplearbeginri education in ternra of their sne said. 'l thought" about my decision in terms of personal happiness, not the social acceptability of it." A growing number of college students, like Miss Iacono, are turning to vocational training after college.

Three to 5 percent of those enrolled in the state's 33 area vocational schools have two or three years of college; a few years ago, it was almost exclusively high school graduates. Some students cite disenchantment with colleges and with "higher education" in general as a reason for choosing vocational schools. They say they like vocational schools' emphasis on jwi ff'1-1- 'titi i i ii ii fftnii i Eden Prairie Vocational School will serve 4,500 students Area's vo-tech schools flop into the hammock without further provocation. I played a game of racquet ball with a chance oppa nent at the club the other day. He was a nondescript guy physically, about 35, five or ten pounds overweight with falling brown hair, unstable arches and a tendency to run into the wall trying to hit a backhand.

He was, in short the typical club Jock, robust and indomitable and just one game away from stardom and-or the infirmary. In the locker room we steamed, showered and toweled off. He opened the upper compartment of his locker and began removing the contents. These he would deposit on the counter in front of the locker room's master mirrors. It, was Jan incredible performance.

He removed enough jars, vials, canisters and miscellaneous vats to stock the Argonne Laboratories. With precision and methodical care he arrayed them in order of utility. He worked without comment but obviously in sure command of the lanolin content, lacquer power and combustibility of each. First, however, he sat for 15 minutes under the hair dryer. The club happens to be one of those coeducational organizations in which the men and women use the health facilities at alternate times.

HAVING ADJUSTED THE DRYER to an appropriate level of warmth and jet power, he leaned over to the counter and speared a can of Johnson and Johnson Baby Powder. He noticed my fugitive Interest in the proceedings. "It's like the ads say," he explained. "It picks up where your towel leaves off. I mean it gets the moisture your towel leaves behind.

I never thought about that until I started getting all this material from the Aramis company. Between you and me, we really WERE kind of crude in the old days, weren't we." His hair now suitably dry, the club jock moved to the counter to confront his armory of vats. "I switched to Vaseline Hairspray a few weeks ago," he declared beneath a vast billowing mist that rose to the ceiling in a series of majestic geysers and sent a half dozen occupants charging into the corridors. "Actually, it's not as good as some of the women's stuff they had around here," he said. "Pantenelthinkit was.

They said it gave a look of health and radiance, and I'll be damned if they weren't right. Anyhow, I felt a little sheepish about using it in public. Peer group pressure, I think they call it." On his freshly shaved face he now began applying a series of aromatic unctions that produced a high finish and a scent powerful enough to attract hummingbirds. "Pit Stop," he explained, "a new product by the English Leather people. I prefer the lime but some of my buddies say they like sandalwood." "BUT ISN'T ONE COAT enough?" I asked.

"I mean you already have rubbed on half of that bottle of after shave." "The other one is the lime cologne," he said. "I try not to overdo that because I also like to use a little bit of this stuff here that the Brut people make. "Good Lord," I protested, "you got to have a degree in chemistry to get ready for Saturday night dinner." The wisdom was overpowered by an alarming 'new blast from the vanity couftter. The fog once more rolled in huge surfs against the locker roonvmirror.and plumed toward the air vents. lt reminded me of the scene above the mall at the university three weeks ago.

"Right Guard deoderant," he said. "It's a toss-up with Mennen's, but I think it's superior to Mum in the ointment form." He was now busily engaged in a succession of body gymnastics, working from a tangerine-colored bottle with a large nozzle. "Protein body lotion," he said. "Not only wholesome and soothing to the tired muscles but very fragrant to sensitive women." "And where are you going that requires all of that stunning lubrication?" I asked. "Home," he confided.

"To cut the hedge. Where else?" swamped by students SVE CHASTAIN 'Minneapolis Star Staff Writer program, which can take up to 35 students each year, always has four five times that number of appli- nve limes inai nuir Vocational schools Minnesota, i si-- Caafs. Rosenwinkel said, in physical facilities, cesses vary of vocatjofialt Jt'S' the same hi other districts. taught, philosophies The suburban Hennepin County district is now operating with about 200 high school students and 150 post-high school students temporary facilities jlntil itsfio huge buildings, and the other in" Eden' Prairie, are completed. :7 ,) The cost-of building: and egoip-ping the buildings Will be about $25.5 million, a school district technical training, spokesman said.

The ''district al acres in Medina for a pi Richard Emery, superintendent of the new Suburban Hennepin County Arjeai Vocational-Technical School District, estimates that at least half and probably closer to 60 percent of the high school students in the district's area need vocational training either to make a living or to work their way through professional training. Though the "super district" will serve about 9,000 students in its 13 member districts when completed in January, it cannot begin to handle the demand. The Minneapolis school system is trying to make more vocational training available by increasing the vocationally oriented offerings in its high schools. Nichols figures that the number of Minneapolis students who need vocational training is close to 80 percent of the total number of students. posed third building.

A similar, "super district," Area Vo-Tech Institute 916 serving seven districts in Ramsey and Washington Counties; also is operating in temporary facilities. Its building in Mahtomedi is scheduled to open in September. This district will have 500 part-time high school students and about 800 post-high school students attending full-time. A third "super district," the Dakota County Area Vocational Technical Institute, started with 50 students in January 1971. It now has 150 students and expects about 400 next year'.

But all have one thing in common; Despite rapid growth, they can't keep up with the demand, particularly in a few fields like auto mechanics. "We could fill our auto mechanics classes from Jordan, Lincoln, and Franklin Junior High Schools said Charles Nichols, director of vocational, technical and industrial education for the Minneapolis public school system. Nichols estimates the Minneapolis Area Vocational-Technical Institute, which serves high school, post-high school and adult students, can accommodate only about a third of the students who would like to be there. More than 800 persons applied for 160 spots in the licensed practical nursing curriculum for next fall. Aviation classes already are registered through 1974.

Classes at the Anoka area vocational-technical school are likewise "way oversubscribed," according to Howard Rosenwinkel, director of vocational-technical education for the Anoka-Hennepin school district. This school, which has about 2,300 full-time and 4,000 part-time students, can accommodate about 2,400 full-time students next year. There are already 7,000 applicants. An occupational therapy assistant CHARLES NICHOLS HOWARD ROSENWINKEL Advertisement Advertisement HANOEIN The state for years has provided vocational education through its system of 33 state-supported area vocational-technical schools. The Dakota County "super district," which serves nine school districts, is operajing in six different rented facilities.

A $7-million build- They train just number needed ingvin' Rosemount is scheduled for The most dramatic change in complet Wn in October. NOUS cation is the recent advent of the "super district," which serves a number of member districts. The reasoning behind these composite districts is simple: They can provide the specialized classes and the expensive equipment none of the member districts could afford "Many, in, 'the vocational-education field" Sayart-era-of close cooperation between vocational schools and colleges is not far away. The state's area vocational schools now teach a number of programs jointly with state junior colleges, and are trying to assure credit transferability from the schools to the colleges. 1 businessmen, industrialists and labor leaders." Emery estimates that when the huge new "super district," which serves 13 individual school districts In the county, becomes fully operational next January, at least 1,000 persons from the community will be involved in planning courses.

Similarly, before any courses were put together by officials of the new Area Vo-Tech Institute serving seven districts in Washington and Ramsey Counties, the officials did an occupations study in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, analyzed the output of other vocational technical centers, and tried to determine how many additional workers would be needed and in what areas. Vocational education's near-100 percent placement record doesn't happen by acccident. It trains people for the Jobs available, by definition. Vocational institutes have developed sophisticated methods of determining how many auto mechanics will be needed each year. If 500 is the projected number, they train 500, not 600.

Richard Emery, superintendent of the new Suburban Hennepin County area vocational-technical school district, calls this careful prediction "prescriptive education." "Industries say to us, This is what we need, and then we provide it," he said. "Courses are not so much a product of the educator as they are of SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 2A SAVE NOW a i ii wMUTZ. Untr j.Iui..u. rJlTninti. im I Minneapolis Star Photoi by William Seaman Brooklyn Park Vocational also built for 4.500 students.