The effects of various megatrends in social and economic life on vocational education in Germany and other countries are discussed, and the evaluation of one approach to facing these megatrends is described. Trends include demographic changes and the conditions resulting from new technologies and environmental concerns. Such megatrends are changing the labor structure, with concurrent effects on vocational education. The demands on the vocational education system can be met only if research focuses on the process structure of education, emphasizing the processes of teaching and learning. Educational content must be related to usability in industry and administration, and teaching and learning must relate to real-world needs. The procedure used in a German program of vocational education is described. A systems approach to complex teaching and learning attempts to foster problem-solving behavior by teaching students how to handle factors derived from real-life situations. An evaluation of this approach in teaching business administration has indicated that commercial education can react to the challenges of the worksite and real life. Twenty-one figures illustrate the discussion. (Contains 75 references.) (SLD)