During the past 15 years, fluctuations in the prevailing price of oil have had a profound effect on Texas' economic affairs and labor market. Efforts to forecast what the Texas labor market will be like in the future must allow for the diversity among the state's gulf coast, border, plains, eastern, metroplex, and central corridor regions. Different development strategies and distinctive job and skill needs are emerging in each of these regions. Technological, economic, social, and political changes will all affect future labor needs and labor markets in Texas. An analysis of what these changes will likely entail suggests that the greatest number of job openings are likely to occur in the following areas: agriculture/biotechnology/biomedicine, energy, materials science, marine science/aquaculture, aerospace, telecommunications, manufacturing science, and automated manufacturing and office automation. Meeting future vocational, technical, and adult education and training needs requires a strategic planning and development approach that will be flexible enough to respond to changing local needs. Development of community college systems, joint public-private initiatives, technical assistance and consulting services, and a mechanism for instructional planning based on employment data and projections are also important. (Appendixes include discussions of factors influencing the workplace in Texas, important technologies for education and training, and significant sources of unpublished information on future employment in Texas.) (MN)