Nontraditional and traditional secondary vocational education program completers in West Virginia were surveyed to determine their attitudes toward their school preparation, work, and encountered work barriers. A questionnaire was mailed to 100 nontraditional and 100 traditional program completers, and a 10 percent sample was contacted by telephone. Most completers enrolled in their vocational education program because the "program sounded interesting" and they "wanted to try out the field." The large majority liked their vocational experience and would recommend their program to a friend. More traditional than nontraditional completers would choose the same program again. The vocational teachers were influential in the decision to enroll in a vocational education program. The respondents revealed, however, that once enrolled the vocational teacher did not provide as much support as they wanted. Respondents also perceived that their parents supported their vocational choices. The nontraditional completers had the most opposition and the least support for their choices. Since completing their program, twice as many nontraditional completers had not been employed. The majority of completers were unhappy with their salary and advancement potential. Study findings supported prior research that guidance counselors are of little help to vocational students. Completers also perceived differential treatment by vocational teachers. More barriers were reported as existing in the work environment for nontraditional than for traditional completers. (YLB)