Vocational education deserves greater recognition, redefined purposes and methods, and a future in the mainstream of public education. Job-specific occupational training should be offered without sacrificing educational preparation generic to all vocations. Secondary vocational education should help students acquire core competencies that will promote job success. Schools should allow flexibility for students who must work, implement dropout identification programs, and coordinate programs to help potential dropouts gain job-seeking and job-keeping skills. Schools can renew and broaden their vocational mission by serving as vocational education catalysts and coordinating with business and industry to provide vocational education. Local schools should not necessarily house all vocational programs. Guidance counseling should be available to all students, cover all courses of study, equally encourage all occupations, and prevent sex bias in occupational planning. Certification for vocational educators needs to be overhauled to provide flexibility to allow recruitment of teachers from business and industry and their preparation through a combination of internship and inservice education. Inconsistencies between the New York State Education Department's occupational futuring plan and the Regents Action Plan should be eliminated by monitoring, evaluation, and revision. Learning opportunities for all students should stress the importance of adaptation to future change at work. (YLB)