THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO HAVE MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL AND TECHNICIANS IDENTIFY CORES OF SUBJECT MATTER RELATED TO TECHNICIAN JOB PERFORMANCE AND TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THEIR JUDGMENTS. FIFTY-TWO TECHNICIANS AND 116 MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN 52 ILLINOIS FIRMS EMPLOYING 200 OR MORE PERSONS PARTICIPATED. A 99-CARD CURRICULUM DECK, REPRESENTING ESSENTIALLY ALL SUBJECT MATTER AREAS WHICH COULD BE CONSIDERED OF POSSIBLE VALUE AS PREPARATION FOR ANY ONE OF THE VARIOUS TECHNICAL OCCUPATIONS RESPONDED TO IN THE STUDY, WAS SORTED BY EACH RESPONDENT AS RELATED, SOMEWHAT RELATED, OR UNRELATED TO THE TECHNICIAN JOB PERFORMANCE. INTERVIEWS PROVIDED DATA ON THE AGE OF RESPONDENT, EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, JOB HISTORY, MANUFACTURING CLASSIFICATION OF THE EMPLOYING FIRM, AND MANAGEMENT-TECHNICIAN WORKING RELATIONSHIP. THE GENERAL CURRICULUM CORE DEFINED BY RESPONDENTS INCLUDED COMMUNICATION SKILLS, TESTING AND INSTRUMENTATION, MATHEMATICS, AND ENGINEERING GRAPHICS. INDIVIDUAL CORES EXTRACTED FROM THE CARD DECK WERE IDENTIFIED FOR ELECTRO-MECHANICAL, MECHANICAL, CHEM-MECHANICAL, CHEMICAL, AND CHEMICAL-FOODS TECHNICIANS. A SURPRISING NUMBER OF TECHNICIAN JOBS SEEMED TO BE HYBRIDS. SUCH HYBRIDIZATION HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR PROGRAMS OF STUDY WHICH MUST PROVIDE SUBJECT MATTER CONSISTENT WITH OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS. ALTHOUGH TECHNICIANS AND MANAGEMENT DIFFERED IN AGE, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, AND SALARY, THEIR VIEWS TOWARD 2-YEAR TECHNICAL CURRICULA WERE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME. THE CORE RECOMMENDATIONS, REPRESENTING THE COLLECTIVE VIEWS OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNICIANS, WERE RECOMMENDED FOR USE AS GUIDELINES IN THE DESIGN AND REFINEMENT OF POST-HIGH SCHOOL TECHNICAL PROGRAMS. (HC)