VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL SCHOOL TRADE PROGRAMS

OLR Research Report


February 19, 2002		2002-R-0191
VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL SCHOOL TRADE PROGRAMS

By: Judith Lohman, Chief Analyst

For the 13 most popular vocational-technical (V-T) school trade programs, you asked for (1) a breakdown of students enrolled in each by gender and race-ethnicity and (2) the starting and average salaries for workers in the occupations represented.

RACIAL, ETHNIC, AND GENDER BREAKDOWN

Table 1 shows the number of students enrolled in each of the 13 programs by sex and race and ethnicity as of October 1, 2001. The numbers represent 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th grade students. Another 3,322 9^th graders have not yet chosen a trade program.

Table 1: 13 V-T Trade Programs - Enrollment Breakdown, 2001

Program	Male	Female	American Indian	Asian American	African American Black	White	Hispanic
Culinary Arts	349	364	11	4	148	408	142
Hairdressing, Cosmetology and Barbering	29	641	4	2	185	322	157
Automotive Mechanics	580	84	2	7	54	451	150
Electrical	603	48	5	3	71	492	80
Carpentry	528	71	2	4	73	396	124
Manufacturing Technology	469	105	4	3	62	391	114
Electronics	483	93	2	6	66	413	89
Drafting Technology	350	281	8	7	63	414	139
Plumbing	352	35	2	0	68	272	45
HVAC	315	44	2	0	11	324	22
Autobody	273	45	2	0	39	194	83
Microcomputer	163	164	2	4	69	152	100
Graphic Communications	93	229	3	0	60	138	121

Source: Regional Vocational Technical School System

WAGES AND SALARIES

Table 2 shows the starting and average wages for Connecticut for various jobs within the V-T school trade categories. Because vocational-technical school trade programs are broader than the state Department of Labor's (DOL) occupational listing, match-ups between the trade programs and the occupations may not be exact. The data below are DOL estimates of earnings in the fourth quarter of 2000 (the most up-to-date published data), compiled by inflating actual data from the fourth quarter of 1999 by the Employment Cost Index for the appropriate occupational division.

Table 2: Starting and Average Wages for 13 V-T School Trade Programs, 2000


	Starting Wage		Average Wage
	Hourly	Annual	Hourly	Annual
CULINARY ARTS*
Chef and Head Cooks	$ 12. 37	$ 25,731	$ 23. 25	$ 48,359
Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food	6. 46	13,421	7. 93	16,493
Cooks, fast food	6. 18	12,840	7. 41	15,414
Cooks, institution and cafeteria	8. 59	17,863	12. 01	24,984
Cooks, restaurant	7. 59	15,787	10. 98	22,846
Cooks, short order	6. 92	14,407	9. 02	18,766
First line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers	10. 85	22,555	14. 43	30,008
Food preparation workers	7. 14	14,864	9. 55	18,867
Food preparation and serving related workers, all other	6. 41	13,338	7. 93	16,504
HAIRDRESSING AND COSMETOLOGY
Barbers	7. 13	14,833	12. 77	26,562
Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists	6. 80	14,137	10. 98	22,846
AUTOMOTIVE MECHANICS
Automotive service technicians and mechanics	9. 64	20,054	15. 81	32,880
ELECTRICAL*
Electricians	16. 15	33,587	22. 36	46,516
Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers	12. 28	25,538	14. 63	30,450
Electrical power line installers and repairers	16. 72	34,771	25. 15	52,322
CARPENTRY
Carpenters	13. 53	28,145	18. 28	37,855
MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY*
Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic	12. 02	25,001	16. 17	33,633
Lathe and Turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	11. 70	24,341	16. 49	34,313
Machinists	10. 58	22,007	16. 47	34,251
Metal and plastic workers, all other	10. 91	22,693	14. 40	29,966
Multiple machine tool setters, operators and tenders, metal and plastic	10. 41	21,673	14. 61	30,388
Numerical tool and process control	17. 78	36,992	21. 93	45,612
Patternmakers, metal and plastic	15. 74	32,745	18. 45	38,374
Tool and die makers	16. 08	33,431	20. 57	42,798
ELECTRONICS*
Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment	13. 14	27,335	20. 55	42,736
Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment	12. 29	25,548	16. 76	34,864
Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation and relay	22. 01	45,779	24. 77	51,522
Electronic home entertainment equipment installers and repairers	9. 90	18,891	15. 02	31,239
Electrical and electronic engineering technicians	15. 19	31,583	21. 11	43,903
DRAFTING TECHNOLOGY*
Drafters, engineering, and mapping technicians	12. 77	26,559	17. 83	37,097
Mechanical drafters	15. 99	33,271	21. 43	44,560
PLUMBING
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters	13. 49	28,051	19. 51	40. 586
HVAC
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers	13. 95	29,007	18. 92	39,371
AUTOBODY
Autobody and related repairers	13. 24	27,532	16. 94	35,227
MICROCOMPUTER*
Computer operators	11. 43	23,768	16. 63	34,581
Data entry keyers	8. 40	17,463	11. 22	23,350
Desktop publishers	13. 34	27,744	18. 55	38,579
Executive secretaries and administrative assistants	13. 60	28,287	18. 18	37,828
Legal secretaries	13. 24	27,536	17. 13	35,636
Word processors and typists	8. 61	17,912	12. 47	25,939
GRAPHIC COMMUNICATIONS*
Bindery Workers	8. 08	16,801	12. 23	25,423
Prepress Technicians and workers	12. 41	25,814	17. 32	36,023
Commercial and industrial designers	17. 01	35,377	25. 63	53,315
All other art and design workers	9. 88	20,555	16. 07	33,428
Graphic designers	12. 73	26,486	20. 39	42,392
Photographers	7. 84	16,312	14. 48	30,103

*Selected Occupations

Source: Ct. Department of Labor

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