Vocational education in large urban areas is a key element in meeting the demands of economic, social, and technological change. The five major California urban centers included in this study are Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Diego, and San Francisco. For each city, there is a report on the present program of vocational education at the community or junior college level, employment needs, manpower problems, relationships to apprenticeship, and significant trends. Brief descriptions are included for exemplary programs in Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan, Washington, D.C., Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Recommendations are presented for each section of the report. Expanding the offerings of vocational education to more people in a wider range of occupations is proposed as Phase Two. (CH)