To assist local boards of education, postsecondary educational institutions, and local advisory councils in Maryland in meeting the requirements for federal funding under Title II-Vocational Education of the Education Amendments of 1976 (P.L. 94-482), this handbook provides guidelines for the establishment and responsibilities of local advisory councils on vocational-technical education. Included are: (1) the 1978 cooperative agreement between the State Advisory Council on Vocational-Technical Education and the State Division of Vocational-Technical Education, regarding joint and special technical assistance to local advisory councils which was not explicitly delineated by the federal law; (2) a summary of the law's impact, outlining its requirements for establishment, operation, and responsibilities of the councils; (3) a description of the council's function and role, stressing its advisory capacity on funding, accountability reports, adequacy of programs, and local job needs and its liaison capacity for building support for vocational-technical programs on community, city, state, and national levels; (4) a chart which shows the general relationship between the public officials, agencies, and school personnel involved and the lines of communication for implementation of the law; (5) recommended by-laws to be adopted by the councils; (6) suggestions for council activities in the areas of student recruitment, selection, and placement, instructional programs, teacher assistance, student recognition, public relations, and reports; and (7) an excerpt from the Maryland law (Senate Bill 930) which provides for establishment of local advisory councils. (ELG)