INVESTIGATED WAS THE QUESTION WHY BOYS OF 16 AND 17 YEARS OF AGE DROP OUT OF SCHOOL AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP PREPARE THEM FOR A PRODUCTIVE AND SATISFACTORY LIFE IN SOCIETY. THE JOB PREPARATION PROGRAM BEGAN WITH BILL NUMBER 72 OF THE WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE. IT INCLUDED SHOP TRAINING IN VARIOUS VOCATIONS SUCH AS RADIO-TV REPAIR, INDUSTRIAL AND HOUSEHOLD PAINTING, CARPENTRY, AUTO REPAIRING, SHEET METAL, ETC. THE STUDENTS WERE ALL BOYS AND WERE BUSED FROM VARIOUS HOME LOCATIONS TO THE WORK SHOPS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. MATERIAL IS INCLUDED IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM, AS SPOKEN OR WRITTEN BY THE 150 MEMBERS OF THE CLASSES, PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND VISITORS TO THE PROGRAM. SOME OBSERVATIONS MADE WERE--(1) DROPOUTS ARE OUT OF SCHOOL AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE OF THE HOME AND THE SCHOOL, (2) THE PERIOD OF INTENSIFIED TRAINING WAS TOO BRIEF, (3) ALL YOUTH SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REMAIN IN SCHOOL UNTIL THEY ARE 17 OR HAVE COMPLETED HIGH SCHOOL, (4) ALL SCHOOL SYSTEMS SHOULD PROVIDE VOCATIONAL OR JOB TRAINING, (5) THE TENDENCY TO DROP OUT MAY BEGIN IN THE THIRD, FOURTH, OR FIFTH GRADE, LAXITY ON THE PART OF TEACHERS TOWARD SUCH STUDENTS CONTRIBUTES TO DROPOUT PROBLEMS. THE PROGRAM MOTIVATED MOST OF THE 150 BOYS TO CONSIDER THEIR FUTURES AND TAKE POSITIVE STEPS TOWARD COMPLETING THEIR EDUCATIONS.