# vocational

/voʊˈkeɪʃənəɫ/ (US) · /vəʊkˈeɪʃənəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/vocational
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. job-specific training

adjective · CEFR B2

teaching the practical skills you need for a specific job or trade.

For teachers: relating to education or training that provides the specific skills and knowledge required for a particular occupation or trade.

- The local college offers vocational courses in car repair and hair styling.
- The government is investing in vocational education to ensure that school leavers possess the technical competencies required by the modern manufacturing sector.

Usage: Usually placed before a noun like 'training', 'course', or 'qualification'.

Teaching tip: Learners often confuse this with 'academic'. Explain that vocational training is for jobs like plumbing or nursing, while academic study is for subjects like history or philosophy.

### 2. relating to a vocation

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

relating to a person's career or a strong feeling that they were meant to do a certain job.

For teachers: of or pertaining to a vocation or a sense of calling to a particular career path.

- She felt a vocational calling to become a doctor from a very young age.
- The counselor provided vocational guidance to help the students identify which career paths best matched their natural aptitudes.

## Examples

- The college offers many vocational courses like plumbing and nursing.
- Instead of studying history at university, he decided to pursue a vocational qualification in electrical engineering.
- The government is increasing funding for vocational programs to address the growing shortage of skilled technicians in the renewable energy sector.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.