The state of California is hoping to change the situation. 

According to The Hechinger Report, an online publication covering education issues, the state is investing US$6 million in a campaign to promote vocational education and another US$200 million to improve vocational programs. 

“We needed to do a better job getting the word out,” Van Ton-Quinlivan, vice chancellor for workforce and economic development at California’s community college system, told The Hechinger Report.
 
According to the publication, the emphasis that’s been placed on a college education as the route to sustainable career has contributed to a shortage of skilled workers. 

In California, the emphasis on a four-year degree has contributed to a decline in the number of students taking vocational classes.
In fact, the number has dropped from 31% to 28% since 2000, according to The Hechinger Report.