ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Career and technical education is rooted in federal legislation fi rst passed in 1917 to fund secondary vocational education. In spite of staunch support from early junior college advocates, the federal government did not fund career and technical education (then labeled vocational education) beyond high school until the 1960s, and even then appropriations were modest. However, vocational education has expanded and diversifi ed considerably since the mid-20th century, leading scholars to question whether the access agenda of community colleges is threatened by an increasing preoccupation with economic development (Levin, 2001). Critics have claimed the vocational mission of community colleges overshadows individual benefi ts (Brint & Karabel, 1989), but politicians, business representatives, and college leaders continue to seek an intensifi ed connection to the labor market (Harmon & MacAllum, 2003). Situated in the middle of this long-standing debate is the student who seeks a college education for many reasons, one of which is to secure a good job.
