This publication outlines the issues in the areas of education and employment that the General Accounting Office plans to investigate and the focus of the planned work for Fiscal Years 1997-99. The principal issues to be investigated are the following: (1) using federal resources to support and encourage state and local efforts to provide education programs that will enable all youths to obtain skilled jobs and become informed citizens; (2) ensuring that eligible students have access to quality higher education while encouraging cost-containment for education programs and protection of federal education funds from fraud and abuse; (3) helping persons to acquire the skills needed to become productively employed and helping employers locate qualified job candidates; and (4) improving protection for workers while reducing the burden for employers in complying with workplace regulations. Descriptions of planned work and objectives for the work on each of these issues are listed in table format. (KC)