Emergence of ‘Life-long Learning Society’ poses both problems of and new challenges for vocational education in high school level. Traditional forms of education do not provide the best preparation for 'learning-intensive economy.' Vocational education has tended to become too focused on specific skills and occupations that are likely to change in the future. Academic education by itself also inadequate because it does not help students apply their knowledge into real situation or learn for preparation of transition to world of work.
In response to the perceived insufficiency of traditional education with the emergence of Life-long Learning Society, vocational education in high school level needs to be reformed in a large-scale. First of all, the compulsory education including high school education should be regarded as the phase of education in which students are provided with knowledge and skills for cognitive and affective development and for acquisition of learning skills which will be required for learning throughout the lifespan. To meet the needs from life-long learning society, vocational education and academic education should be integrated and vocational and educational performance standard, such as a National Skill Standard, needs to be developed to explicitly relate each other. To prepare for learning-intensive work, vocational education in high school should include a certain amount of work-based learning for all students.
To achieve the reform of vocational education in high school level will require continuing discussion on roles and functions of vocational education among policy makers, employers, vocational educators, and teachers. It also will require provisional and financial supports from the government. Besides, the role of teacher should be changed from knowledge disseminator to human resource developer.