VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMEN:

This paper discusses the economic development challenge to vocational education. It begins with an..overview of the Aynami6-proceBses of technological-change and industrial development.-and-theirimplications for jobs and training.-.Several issues are then-raisedregardingplanning,-ilplementation, and. evaluation-of vocational:education.programS.as_they _seek to,..facilitate state and local-a-Con0Mic-development. Four-specific topics are-addressed that highlight theimportance of making critiCal distinctions between short-term-and long-term'economic.development: (1) future skill surpluses, (2)-cuStomized training, (3).3obs in branch plants versus indigenomi new firms,::and (4) serving-new skills at the expense of the old.-Thereafter,_the paper posea important researCh questions that should be addressed in the national assessment of vocational-education. The 10 isst 39 are, categorized by three major areas.: the responsiveness of vocazional education to changing labor market Aleeds, balancing short-term and-longer-term development objectives, and vocational education and the education and training network. The final section comments on a case study research approach to generate answers to these questions. A six-page reference list concludes the document. (YLS) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document