Smith-Hughes Act is a United States law that provides federal funds to the states for vocational education. Vocational education prepares people for an occupation that does not require a bachelor’s degree. The Smith-Hughes Act was the first national law to directly promote vocational education in the United States. The law established a Federal Board of Vocational Education to develop teacher training programs in vocational education in secondary schools and funded half their salaries. It provides for training in such areas as agriculture; trade and industry; and family and consumer sciences (home economics). To be eligible, states must submit plans for vocational education to the federal government for approval.
The Smith-Huges Act was written by U.S. Senator Hoke Smith (1855 -1931) and U.S. Representative Dudley M. Hughes (1848-1927), both of Georgia. The legislation was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson as the Vocational Educational Act of 1917. The act firmly set and expanded vocational education’s place in the schools. Since 1917, Congress has passed additional acts supporting vocational education, specifically to include vocational counseling and rehabilitation.
