THE CHANGING NATURE AND PURPOSES OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN AGRICULTURE PROMPTED THIS STUDY OF OCCUPATIONS IN OFF-FARM AGRICULTURE. OBJECTIVES WERE TO DEVELOP INFORMATION IN REGARD TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, REQUIRED COMPETENCIES, AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION NEEDS FOR JOB ENTRY AND ADVANCEMENT. REPRESENTING A 10 PERCENT RANDOM SAMPLE OF EACH OF 13 OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS IN FIVE GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS IN THE STATE, 378 EMPLOYERS WERE INTERVIEWED BY TEACHERS, TEACHER-TRAINEES, AND GRADUATE STUDENTS USING TWO INTERVIEW SCHEDULES. FINDINGS WERE--(1) 20,275, OR 63 PERCENT, OF THE 25,509 FULL-TIME OCCUPATIONAL WORKERS NEEDED AGRICULTURAL COMPETENCY, (2) OVER ONE-HALF OF THE FIRMS HAD SALES, AND 14 PERCENT HAD SERVICE AS THEIR PRINCIPAL FUNCTION, (3) NEARLY ONE-HALF OF THE FIRMS EMPLOYED HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES, AND 60.3 PERCENT WOULD BE WILLING TO COOPERATE IN HIGH SCHOOL TRAINING PROGRAMS, (4) MOST OF THE EMPLOYERS EXPRESSED A NEED FOR TRAINING PROGRAM CHANGES, (5) THE THREE LARGEST AREAS OF OFF-FARM AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT WERE HORTICULTURE, HARDWARE AND FARM EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLY, AND FOOD DISTRIBUTION AND PROCESSING, (6) MOST EMPLOYERS EXPRESSED NO PREFERENCE AS TO EMPLOYEE'S RESIDENTIAL BACKGROUND, AND (7) MOST EMPLOYERS PREFERRED THAT EMPLOYEES GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROGRAM CHANGES ARE INCLUDED. (JM)