Malgorzata Kuczera 
OECD Reviews of Vocational Education and Training: A Learning for Jobs Review of the United States, South Carolina 2011 [PDF ebook] 

Learning for Jobs is an OECD study of vocational education and training (VET) designed to help countries make their VET systems more responsive to labour market needs. South Carolina offers career and technology education (CATE) programs in high schools and career and technology centers, with relatively good status and linked to expectations of strong general skills. A reform agenda reflected in the ‘Education and Economic Development Act’ includes the development of high quality career guidance. There is also a strong technical college system. Wider challenges include an underlying problem of resources for schools, the need to further develop workplace learning, and the lack of basic skills both among school-leavers and adults. The OECD review assesses the main challenges faced by the CATE system and presents an interconnected package of policy recommendations. For each recommendation, the report describes the challenge, the recommendation itself, supporting arguments, and issues of implementation.