Despite skepticism about the viability of an educational investment strategy for rural development, coordination between education and rural employers may be a key to rural economic growth. Interviews with 101 employers in 6 rural counties surrounding Hagerstown, Maryland, as well as a mail survey (95 of the 101 employers responded), examined exployers' attitudes, opinions and behaviors related to their employees, job applicants, hiring and training practices, and relations with schools. The majority of the employers (79 percent) had difficulties in hiring and retaining employees. Most provided employee training; prevalent themes were motivation, teamwork, problem solving, and listening. Employers indicated a relatively low level of satisfaction with high school graduates' qualifications. Large percentages of employers sometimes ask or never ask applicants for high school coursework or grades, although they have significant contact with high schools. Policy suggestions derived from the results include: (1) initiating comprehensive human resource investment plans; (2) encouraging and requesting student credentials; (3) improving part-time experiences during high school; (4) coordinating education and training with schools; (5) establishing apprenticeship programs; (6) increasing human resource management skills; (7) improving coordination among counties and states; (8) providing workplace training for high school teachers; (9) providing seed grants for teachers and administrators; and (10) rewarding educators for contributions to economic development. (KS)