A STUDY WAS MADE TO IDENTIFY, IN THE POSTTRAINING PERFORMANCE OF TWO GROUPS OF GRADUATES OF A TRAINING PROGRAM, DIFFERENCES THAT MIGHT BE ATTRIBUTABLE TO BASIC EDUCATION EXPERIENCES. NINETY MEN--45 IN EACH GROUP (COMBINED GENERAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, GROUP A, AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ALONE, GROUP B)--COMPLETED MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING ACT COURSES IN NORFOLK, VIRGINIA. GROUP A ENROLLEES SPENT HALF OF EACH DAY RECEIVING SYSTEMATIC INSTRUCTION IN READING IMPROVEMENT, LANGUAGE ARTS, NUMBER SKILLS, OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION, AND HUMAN RELATIONS SKILLS, AND HALF OF EACH DAY LEARNING A TECHNICAL SKILL. GROUP B SPENT HALF OF EACH DAY IN TECHNICAL CLASSES PLUS AN HOUR A DAY IN SUPERVISED (BUT NOT GUIDED) STUDY. TWO CONTROL GROUPS WERE ALSO PROVIDED. IN FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEWS A YEAR AFTER TRAINING, GROUP A TRAINEES WERE FOUND TO SURPASS GROUP B IN TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT (95 PERCENT VERSUS 74 PERCENT), AVERAGE WEEKLY WAGES ($83 VERSUS $71), PROMOTIONS ON THE JOB (31 PERCENT VERSUS 25 PERCENT), OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY, VARIETY OF MEANS USED TO SEEK EMPLOYMENT, AND RAPID GAINS IN ACADEMIC AND TECHNICAL ABILITY. IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY WERE NOTED. (THE DOCUMENT INCLUDES THREE TABLES AND FIVE REFERENCES.) THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCES, VOLUME 1, NUMBER 1, SUMMER 1966. (LY)