Most skilled industrial workers, nevertheless, still acquire their skills outside of formal training institutions. The National Manpower Council of Columbia University has estimated that three out of five skilled workers and one out of five technicians have not been formally trained.

There is little doubt that the students benefit from vocational education. Employers prefer to hire youth with such training rather than those without, and most graduates of vocational training go to work in jobs related to their training. Vocational educators do not claim that school training alone makes skilled workers, but it provides the essential groundwork for developing skills.

In most states, trade and industrial training is provided in a minority of the high schools, usually located in the larger cities. In Arkansas fewer than 6 per cent of the high schools offer trade and industrial courses. In Illinois about 13 per cent of the schools have programs, and in Pennsylvania 11 per cent.

An important recent trend is the development of area vocational schools. For a number of years Kentucky, Louisiana and several other states have been building state sponsored vocational education schools that serve nearby school districts in several counties. These schools are intended to provide the facilities and specialized curriculum that would not be possible for very small school districts. Transportation may be provided from nearby school districts. Courses are provided mainly for post high school day programs; but sometimes arrangements also are made for high school students to attend, and evening extension courses also may be conducted.