Vocationalize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To equip or modify something to serve as practical training for a specific trade or occupation
2. To prepare or transform content, skills, or education to focus on job-related learning
3. To make suitable for career-oriented education or vocational skill development

Etymology: "Vocationalize" is a plain formation: the adjective "vocational," meaning relating to an occupation or trade, with the verb-forming suffix "-ize" attached. "Vocational" itself comes from the Latin "vocatio," a calling or summons, from "vocare," to call, so the verb carries the older sense of a call to work within it. To vocationalize something is to reshape it, typically an education or training programme, so that it prepares people for specific careers. The suffix "-ize," from Greek "-izein," is the standard way English turns adjectives and nouns into verbs meaning "to make into" or "to treat in the manner of." Its presence here follows the same pattern as many other English verbs built on adjectives, and the word's meaning follows directly from its parts: "vocational" plus "make into" gives "make vocational."

Synonyms: specialize, train