This handbook is a result of a project in Adult Vocational Education undertaken by the Illinois Office of Education's Division of Adult, Vocational, and Technical Education, and the College of Education at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. The handbook is intended to provide an introduction to adult vocational education for new teachers, and serve as a reference for planners and teachers of adult vocational education programs. The first section presents a rationale for adult vocational education through an analysis of actual and potential clientele for such programs, and the reasons for participation cited by adults. The second section illustrates learning characteristics of adults. A self-instructional program elaborating on the characteristics and reinforcing their importance is also included along with similar methods and techniques of adult learning. Section 3 provides an approach for defining and developing vocational instruction which can be readily accommodated to the adult learning characteristics. In this section data is provided for a discussion of alternate means for sequencing materials to facilitate learning. The final section includes references and resources for use by adult vocational educators, most of which are inexpensive and readily available. (Author/WL)