技職教育在終身學習社會時代的來臨時，就更顯示出它的重要性了。然而技職教育應該在培養個人特殊技能上做教育準備呢？還是應該在範圍廣一點的生涯發展上呢？而這裏的生涯發展包括著學習者的終身學習態度、應聘實力與認知能力。本篇將就上述議題進行探索，並且討論技職教育的發展如何在現在與未來的急遽變化下，符合就業職場的需求。本文結論指出想在技職教育中有成功的生涯發展，需要有願意嘗試風險的教育者，先行放棄控制學生的需求，而且可讓學生追求他們自己的學習──問他們自己的問題，尋求自己需求的答案。教育者必須吸引學生尋求理解，辨別懷疑，以負責地進行探索。

Technological and vocational education has become an important issue while lifelong learning is widely accepted. However, should it concentrate on preparing students for specific jobs or should it be more focused on broader career development, including lifelong learning, employability, and cognitive skills? This paper explores these questions and examines how technological and vocational education programs can best prepare students to meet the demands of the current and future workplace. This paper concludes that successful career development in technological and vocational education requires educators who are willing to take risks, to forego the need for control, and to allow students to pursue their own learning, which implies asking their own questions and seeking their own answers.