The aging of the population is one of the major influences on the environment in which vocational education operates. The number of people 65 and older will increase more slowly in next 25 years than in the past. Improvements in working conditions, health care, and pension plans since World War II have made those who will be 65 by the end of the century healthier and more financially secure than previous generations of the elderly. Medical advances that should lead to sizeable increases (5 years or more) in the life expectency of the elderly in this century are not likely. A significant proportion of those approaching age 65 express interest in working, usually on a part-time basis; however, labor force participation by males 55 and over has been declining steadily. These findings suggest that those elderly persons who are most likely to want and need vocational education are the poor and near-poor. The role that appears most appropriate for vocational education is to serve those who wish to work but lack skills. (Appendixes to this report include a model of the major influences on vocational education, a list of the information sources scanned on a regular basis during this study, and seven pages of references. (MN)