In the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), vocational education is designed to assist in the achievement of political, economic, and social aims. The emphasis that the USSR constitution places on "socially useful work" and its results has been consistently reflected in legislation governing vocational training since 1919. Not only does vocational training have a higher status within central planning institutions than it does in the West, but 50 percent of the elementary-secondary curriculum is devoted to achieving objectives within the affective domain intended to implant appropriate work attitudes in young people. Therefore, vocational education in the country is administered by a strong central organization with a descending system of hierarchies from national to local levels in policymaking, administration, and the regulation of the training system. Several institutes are involved in research on vocational training and methods of providing it. The USSR has 7,626 vocational schools with 3.8 million students being trained in 1,500 different trades, some 2 million skilled and semiskilled workers graduating each year. The system employs 340,000 teachers who receive pre- and inservice training; the directors and senior staff must take refresher courses every 5 years. (Appended to this report are the USSR general and vocational training reforms that were passed in April 1984). (MN)