THE VIRGINIA EMPLOYMENT COMMISSION IDENTIFIED AND CONTACTED 314 MEN FOR ENROLLMENT IN RETRAINING PROGRAMS. THESE MEN, AGES 21 TO 65, WERE COMPARED ON THE BASIS OF THEIR ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION OF ENROLLMENT IN THE PROGRAMS. THE PROGRAMS WERE (1) A 52-WEEK COURSE IN BRICK MASONRY, AUTOMOBILE MECHANICS, SHEET METAL WORK, ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY, OR BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND (2) A 12-WEEK COURSE IN AUTOMOBILE SERVICING. DATA WERE COLLECTED BY INTERVIEW TO TEST 10 HYPOTHESES, THREE OF WHICH WERE--(1) THE REJECTORS FEEL TRAINING ALLOWANCES ARE TOO LOW, (2) COMMUNICATIONS DO NOT ADEQUATELY CONVEY THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ENROLLMENT OR THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS, AND (3) EDUCATION, TRAINING, WORK EXPERIENCE, AND FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS DIFFER FOR ENROLLERS AND REJECTORS. THE THREE MAJOR FACTORS WHICH DETERRED ENROLLMENT WERE (1) THE TRAINING ALLOWANCE OF $25 PER WEEK WAS TOO LOW, (2) THE TRAINING PERIOD WAS TOO LONG, AND (3) COMMUNICATIONS CONCERNING THE COURSES AND ENROLLMENT IMPEDED RECRUITMENT. OTHER FINDINGS INDICATED THE REJECTOR HAD SELDOM BEEN IN MILITARY SERVICE, HAD NOT WORKED OUTSIDE HIS HOME COMMUNITY, AND HAD NOT WORKED WITH OR NEAR SKILLED WORKERS. HE SEEMED PRONE TO MISUNDERSTAND INFORMATION ABOUT NEW PROGRAMS. HE ALSO FELT HE COULD NOT AFFORD A LONG PERIOD OF RETRAINING. SOME RECOMMENDATIONS WERE TO--(1) UTILIZE LONG RANGE INFORMATION PROGRAMS, (2) USE A VARIETY OF COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES, (3) PROVIDE A DEMONSTRATION TRAINING PROJECT, (4) PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR LARGE FAMILIES DURING TRAINING, AND (5) USE THE SIMPLEST ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES. STATISTICAL DATA ARE INCLUDED. (EM)