Purpose

The Department of Workforce Education and Development is one of the largest education, training, and development departments in the United States.  A recent external evaluation team recognized the Department as “among the top ten in the nation.” The Department’s graduate programs were listed among the top ten in the nation twice by U.S. News & World Report as cited in the Southern Spotlight.  Offering an array of innovative and flexible undergraduate and graduate programs, the Department has more than 19,000 alumni.

The focus on broad workforce education and development initiatives is the result of a collective decision by the faculty to align programs relative to changing economic, education, demographic, legislative, and technological environments.

Vision and Mission

The vision of the faculty of the Department of Workforce Education and Development is to establish a collective sense of creative and intellectual inquiry and commitment to excellence in the workforce and in workplace education, training, development, and reform. 

The Department’s mission is to help create a world-class professional and technical workforce based on values and respect for occupational competence, the dignity of work, equal education opportunity, and life-long learning.

History

The current Department was created in 1973 in the College of Education from the former departments and faculties of Agricultural Education, Business Education, Home Economics Education, and Occupational Education under the name of Vocational Education Studies.  In 1993, the Department’s name was changed to Workforce Education and Development.