This document describes basic skills, their place in programs of vocational preparation, and their potential for progression into more advanced programs. Section 1 reviews the present situation and concepts regarding the provision and acquisition of skills. The need for progression is described, and the possibility of creating programs for progression of skill acquisition is promoted. Section 2 lists the important skills needed in employment as identified by research and briefly considers the significance of application of the data to the curriculum. Section 3 describes a progressive structure of education and training based on the skills, concepts, and research described earlier in the document. Section 4, in tackling some of the staff development problems associated with basic skills teaching, describes a proactive and a reactive approach to staff development arising out of the curriculum demands of vocational preparation. Section 5 is a summary. Appendixes, amounting to approximately three-fourths of the document, include a review of research in the area of skills, a common core of skills for vocational preparation, research data, an assessment of basic skills, models of progression, a staff development program, and a glossary. (YLB)