TWELVE RESEARCH REVIEWS IN THIS ISSUE PERTAIN TO YOUTH AND ADULTS UNEMPLOYED OR AT WORK, ONE OF THE MAJOR AREAS OF CONCERN IDENTIFIED BY THE PANEL OF CONSULTANTS ON VOCATIONAL EDUCATION. THEY ARE ORGANIZED UNDER THE TOPICS--(1) EXPANDING EDUCATION AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES WHICH INCLUDES PATTERNS OF ADULT INFORMATION SEEKING, PREDICTION OF MANPOWER AND DEVELOPMENT TRAINING ACT PROGRAM OUTCOMES, AND TRAINING OF HOME ECONOMISTS FOR WORK WITH ADULTS, (2) INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS WHICH INCLUDES ADULT TRAINING AND RETRAINING, INFLUENCES OF SELECTED FACTORS ON ADULT TRAINING, AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND GUIDANCE KNOWLEDGE NEEDED BY MOTHERS AND CHILD CARE WORKERS, (3) EXPANDING AND IMPROVING APPRENTICE PROGRAMS WHICH TREATS NEGRO PARTICIPATION IN APPRENTICE PROGRAMS, (4) UTILIZING TOTAL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES WHICH INCLUDES FUNCTIONAL ILLITERATES IN ALABAMA, ADULT LITERACY MATERIALS AND PROGRAMS, AND A SPANISH LANGUAGE ADULT INTELLIGENCE SCALE, AND (5) GUIDANCE AND PLACEMENT SERVICES WHICH INCLUDES CAREER DEVELOPMENT, DROPOUT IDENTIFICATION AND PREVENTION, AND VARIABLES INVOLVED IN JOB SUCCESS OR FAILURE. "PLAIN TALK," A CONTINUING COLUMN BY THE AUTHOR, DISCUSSES ASPECTS OF ADULT EDUCATION SUCH AS RESEARCH NEEDED AS A BASIS FOR DETERMINING ADULT VOCATIONAL EDUCATION OFFERINGS AND CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING SUCH PROGRAMS AND PROBLEMS OF INITIATING EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS. THE BIBLIOGRAPHY LISTS 17 RELATED STUDIES WHICH ARE IN PROGRESS. THIS ARTICLE IS PUBLISHED IN THE "AMERICAN VOCATIONAL JOURNAL," VOLUME 42, NUMBER 12, DECEMBER 1967. (EM)