This report is based on five regional forums held in 1983 on the topic of business and vocational education. The forums, conducted in cooperation with the National Commission for Employment Policy and the State Advisory Councils on Vocational Education, provided the opportunity for an exchange of ideas and information with representatives of the private sector. Employers discussed their perceptions of vocational education and education generally, their expectations, and areas where improvements are needed. Several themes were heard repeatedly throughout the forums. One was the reliance of employers on high quality vocational programs to provide trained workers. Another was a desire to see improvement in all areas of vocational education to bring programs up to the highest standards and keep them abreast of the latest developments in technology and skill requirements. Also stressed was the need for greater relevance in education generally to the requirements of the workplace so that all students will be prepared to function when they move into the world of work. The businesses represented were willing to work in partnership with education to help improve quality. (This report contains an overview of the forums, a discussion of business-education partnerships, and conclusions and recommendations by the Council.) (KC)

This yearbook includes 24 papers dealing with collaboration between the vocational education and private sectors. Presented first are the following papers on the foundation for collaboration: "The Changing Nature of Work and Workers" (Joseph F. Coates), "Jobs with a Future" (Marvin J. Cetron), "The Mission of Vocational Education and Trends in Training Delivery" (Donald F. Averill), "A Rationale for Collaboration: The View from Industry" (Richard E. Clinton), "Requisites for Collaboration: The View from the Financial Community" (James M. Howell and Linda D. Frankel), and "A Rationale for Collaboration: The View from Labor" (Jack Reihl). The following papers address issues in collaboration: "Is Vocational Education Ready for Collaboration?" (Jerome Moss, Jr.), "Why Business Finds It Hard to Work with Schools" (Gayle Jasso), "Educational Institutions Must Welcome Collaboration" (Don C. Garrison), "Governance: A Help or Hindrance?" (William Payne and B. Lamont Carter), and "How Employer-Employee Contracts Affect Collaboration: The View from Education" (Harold McAninch and Joan Bevelacqua). The next two sections contain the following descriptions and case histories of collaborative programs: "The Economic Development Role of Vocational Education" (Paul V. Braden), "Collaboration: Vocational Education and the Private Sector" (John C. Graves), "Issues in Collaboration between Organized Labor and Vocational Education" (Kenneth R. Edwards and Theresa M. Carroll), "Collaboration in Apprentice Programs: Experience with In-School Apprenticeships" (Robert W. Glover),"Revitalizing an Old Medium: Using Advisory Committees" (Moody Oswald), "California's Regional Occupational Programs" (David L. Smith and Patricia B. Langlin), "Using the Community as a Resource" (Cecil L. Groves), VICA and the United States Skill Olympics" (Larry W. Johnson), "Community Work-Education Councils" (Gerald G. Gold), "The Role of Private Industry Councils in Training the Economically Disadvantaged" (William H. Kolberg), and "The Boston Compact" (William Spring). The final two papers--"Adapting Technology for Instructional Delivery" (Joseph I. Lipson) and "A Futuristic Scenario: Collaboration in the Year 2000" (Paul E. Barton)--deal with collaboration in the future. (MN)