As New Jerseyans wake each morning and prepare for their busy days, gourmet chefs are planning menus and preparing restaurant-quality meals.

A dry cleaning business in East Brunswick churns out fresh laundry using state-of-the-art, environmentally-safe equipment.

Cisco-trained computer technicians troubleshoot office computer networks. And hair stylists throughout the state start to wash, comb, cut and color.

But these are not your typical workers; they also balance homework, extracurricular activities and other high school commitments. They are some of the 83,000 secondary and adult students of New Jersey’s 21 county vocational-technical school districts. Attending more than 60 schools throughout the state, these students are learning trades and preparing for careers in nearly every aspect of today’s technology-driven economy.

Each year, 27,000 high school students choose to enroll in county vocational-technical schools on a full-time or shared-time basis. Many are academically talented students attracted to unique opportunities for hands-on learning with advanced technology. Nearly one-third are special education students who gain self-reliance and job skills that prepare them for success after high school.

In addition to their high school programs, the county vocational schools provide an extensive array of post-secondary, adult high school, and continuing education programs serving roughly 56,000 adult students on a full- and part-time basis.

As diverse as the Garden State itself, the students of New Jersey’s vocational-technical high schools are enrolled in 800 approved vocational-technical programs in high-demand fields such as information technology, healthcare, traditional trades, and business administration.

Despite the wide variety of programs available, they all have one thing in common: every one of them is using technology in ways that seemed unheard of just a generation ago.

As technology has redefined the knowledge and skills needed to succeed, the county vocational-technical schools have transformed their academic and technical programs to address the evolving nature of the workplace.

The schools work closely with local employers to ensure that students complete secondary and post-secondary programs equipped with the skills and knowledge to succeed in the 21st century workplace.

The relationship is symbiotic: vocational-technical schools could not produce exceptionally well-trained workers without guidance from industry, while many employers couldn’t continue to find qualified workers without our vocational-technical schools.

For Tiffanie Giordano, a member of the first freshman class of full-time students at Union County Vocational-Technical High School in Scotch Plains, the choice was easy. "I love computers and technology and I know I want to pursue a career in computer engineering or networking,” she said. “Computer technology is such a competitive field that you need to learn as much as you can as early as possible in order to succeed. At the vo-tech high school, I can get all the certifications I need before I even begin college.”

In order to graduate from a vocational-technical school, students must meet industry- endorsed performance standards, as well as the regular state graduation requirements.

The county-based districts also address regional economic needs, providing programs that answer to the market demands of the local economy. The vocational-technical programs directly relate to the jobs which are available in their communities, such as the marine sciences academy on the coast of Monmouth County and a student-operated motel in Cape May.

One difference between vocational-technical programs and traditional academic instruction is the emphasis on “learning by doing.” Occupational programs frequently integrate science, math, and other aspects of the state’s rigorous core curriculum content standards, rather than treating them as discrete subjects.

Technology is infused throughout the curriculum to give college- and work-bound students hands-on experience and marketable skills. Further, the county vocational-technical schools incorporate external mentoring and workplace experiences into every student’s program, ensuring that classroom instruction is reinforced by application.

At a ceremony honoring the schools’ business partners, then New Jersey Commissioner of Education William Librera praised the innovations put into place at the county vo-tech schools. “If I had to identify one segment of public schools in the State of New Jersey, characterized in the last decade for innovative practices (and) for diverse and multiple paths for success for all kids, it would be the vocational-technical schools,” he said.

Exciting new ventures such as career academies and magnet high schools provide unique opportunities for talented students to excel academically while getting a head start on career preparation. With their rigorous curricula and work-based learning opportunities, these specialized high schools give students and employers a head start in preparing for the future. These highly competitive, full-time high schools are built on the same principles that make traditional vocational programs so successful: hands-on experience integrated with academic learning and active industry involvement.

Once considered an option only for students without strong academic potential, vocational-technical schools are now recognized as a desirable choice for students with ambitious career goals. In the past, most vocational school graduates went directly into the job market. But today’s jobs require a more sophisticated level of preparation and roughly 6 out of 10 graduates continue on to higher education, often with advanced credits earned as part of their high school program.

As technology continues to change our society and our economy, New Jersey’s vocational-technical schools will continue to be in the forefront of providing a quality and meaningful education to New Jersey’s students.