In order to derive social benefits from technology, its impact must be studied. Technology is a double-edged sword, promoting human and societal values and disrupting social institutions by increasing the rates of change and growth in areas such as population and life-styles. Vocational education offers a means to begin bridging the ever-widening gap between the individual needs for lifelong continuous learning and vocational adjustment and the demands of an increasingly complex technological society. The failures of educational institutions must be studied in order to produce an informed citizenry who are capable of adapting to and directing change. Local educational programs must be developed so that individual identity and human values can be preserved, in the face of tremendous personal adjustment and socialization pressures. (AG)