In preparation for a conference held in Paris, France, in November 1994, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OEC) launched 5-year program that involved 20 countries studying the changing role of vocational and technical education and training (VOTEC). This background document presents in question-and-answer format a synthesis of national studies on the knowledge and information base of VOTEC and its responsiveness. Issues raised include the following: (1) should vocational education be job-specific or more broadly based?; (2) how can the flow of knowledge between schools and science be improved?; (3) how can the flow of knowledge between schools and businesses be improved?; (4) what is the impact of various countries' institutional features on the flow of knowledge between schools, science, and industry?; (5) which other roles can vocational schools and training institutions perform with regard to innovation in small and medium-size enterprises?; and (6) what roles should governments perform in regard to knowledge transfers between schools, science, and industry? (KC)