A current evaluation of the general secretarial curriculum of the Alexandria Area Vocational-Technical School

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the General Secretarial Curriculum of the Alexandria Area Vocational-Technical School, Alexandria, Minnesota, to determine if the curriculum is adequately preparing General Secretarial graduates for the business world. GeneralSecretarial graduates' success was measured by the types of positions held and by the duties and responsibilities performed.Employers' opinions regarding the General Secretarial graduates' capabilities and performance and employers' recommendations for changes in the General Secretarial Curriculum were also used as evaluative measures.The questionnaire technique was used to survey 106 General Secretarial graduates of 1968, 1969, and 1970.The questionnaire technique was used to survey the 78 employers of these graduates.Responses were received from 95 graduates and 75 employers.A majority of the General Secretarial graduates indicated that they were employed in positions where they were using their shorthand and machine transcription skills.This would seem to indicate that graduates are employed in positions for which they are trained.Graduates indicated that typewriting instruction, Business English, and Secretarial Office Procedures were considered as being most important subjects in the curriculum.Economics, Business Law, and Data Processing were considered as of least importance in the curriculum.Graduates indicated that instruction in human relations should be given more emphasis in the curriculum.This would seem to indicate that graduates become more cognizant of the need for good communication skills after a period of employment.Employers were asked to indicate to what degree General Secretarial graduates were meeting the needs of their firms.Employers indicated that graduates were performing satisfactorily.This would seem to indicate that graduates possess saleable skills which meet employers' needs.Employer recommendations for curriculum revision centered primarily on human relations.This indicates a correlation between employer and graduate responses indicating a need for more human relations instruction in the General Secretarial Curriculum.A majority of employers indicated that salaries for General Secretarial graduates were adjusted to compensate for post-secondary training.This would seem to indicate that employers are becoming more aware of the value of post-secondary vocational training.