This document presents the views of the National Association of State Directors of Vocational Technical Education regarding the challenge, mission, vision, underlying principles, practice, needs, and benefits/potential outcomes of vocational-technical education (VTE). The following topics are discussed: the challenge of making VTE the cornerstone of reconstructing the "American dream"; VTE's importance as a work force development system and provider of occupational education; the vision of VTE as a provider of education where teaching methods matched to learning styles are used to make all citizens employable at age 18; VTE's role in creating substantial economic opportunities for all students, training/maintaining the work force, providing customized training for large and small employers, establishing and promoting a school-to-work transition system, preventing failure, and encouraging employer participation in education; the importance of building on existing VTE systems to facilitate students' transition into the workplace; VTE's accomplishments in areas such as using the applied learning method, integrating vocational and academic education, identifying skills needed in the workplace, piloting performance standards and tech prep programs, pioneering performance-based assessment systems, and reaching out to special needs groups; and the financial, legislative, and other support needed by VTE to train a globally superior work force. (MN)