The study reported here involves six countries (Germany, Italy, Yugoslavia, United Kingdom, United States, and Sweden) and focuses on the ways in which those who are actively employed have access to opportunities to alternate education and training with their employment. The first chapter discusses the study structure and defines the field covered in the study. In chapter 2 the major issues are discussed, including the availability of information; educational leave, equity, and efficiency; and responsibility and control. Chapter 3 analyzes the data collected from firms in these countries where alternation between work and education was developed. This information, treated as case studies, is divided into five sections as follows: internal and external provision of educational leave, demand for leave, duration and distribution, evaluation, and the implications for career patterns. The last chapter on the relation between educational leave and broader social and labor market policies includes the following five sections: the parameters of educational leave--external constraints and internal factors; educational leave and the segmentation of the labor market; qualitative aspects--technological developments, work reorganization, and industrial democracy; the role of public authorities; and concluding comments. A list of the firms studied and the grid used as a framework for the case studies are appended. (EM)