vocational educational training, which may include but not be limited to organized educational programs offering a sequence of courses which are directly related to the preparation of individuals for current or emerging occupations requirin

(i) vocational educational training, which may include but not be limited to organized educational programs offering a sequence of courses which are directly related to the preparation of individuals for current or emerging occupations requiring other than a baccalaureate or advanced degree. Such programs may include competency-based applied learning which contributes to an individual's academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning, and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, and the occupational- specific skills necessary for economic independence. Such term may also include applied technology education;