The author examines the current low level of vocational training for mentally retarded adults and describes a program at the University of Washington in which 63 retarded adults were trained as food service workers. The project was replicated in a collaborative arrangement between a sheltered workshop/activity center and a local hospital. The program involved graduation to on site training in dishwashing, bussing, and utility-maintenance. Specific vocational skills as well as personal and social skills (such as grooming, bus riding, and time management) were emphasized. Training time, cost, and employment statistics are reported, indicating that 35 of 39 persons trained and placed in jobs during the project are currently employed. Among conclusions noted are that mentally retarded adults respond to a direct approach toward terminal employment objectives and that prevocational training for post high school adults may be costly, unnecessary, and nonproductive; that most performance problems can be reduced or eliminated through training; that behavioral standards for mentally retarded adults should be the same as for nonretarded adults; and that there are disincentives in the welfare system for vocational education programs for mentally retarded adults. Recommendations are listed for parents and advocates as well as for educators in secondary and postsecondary schools. (CL)