Hispanic-American dropouts are a population seriously at risk socially and economically in the United States. A recent study by the Hispanic Policy Development Project (HPDP), "Too Late to Patch: Reconsidering Second-Chance Opportunities for Hispanic and Other Dropouts," suggests a number of programs that can benefit the 1.8 million Hispanic youths between the ages of 18 and 24 who have left school without adequate preparation for entry into the workforce. This digest summarizes that study. The HPDP study finds that Hispanic dropout populations are concentrated in inner cities, where unskilled labor opportunities are declining, and that language problems and preparedness to accept underemployment further complicate the problem. Many second-chance job training programs, such as the Job Partnership Training Act of 1983, are underfunded and over-restrictive; enriched, long-term employment programs, on the other hand, have been found to succeed. "Too Late to Patch" recommends the following strategies to address the special training needs of Hispanic dropouts: (1) programs for adults with families; (2) youth programs for recent dropouts; (3) work study programs; (4) immigrant programs; and (5) programs for parents. Changes in the kinds of jobs available to Hispanic American youth can be effected through the following initiatives: (1) government programs; (2) job ladder programs; (3) public works programs; (4) entrepreneurship programs; and (5) job improvement. (AF)