This report reviews current issues in vocational education and discusses their relationship to the California Statewide Longitudinal Study (SLS) of community college students. After a brief outline of the development of vocational education in the community college, current issues identified in a series of studies of vocational education in California are presented, including a lack of program flexibility, poor implementation of open entry/exit programs, the mismatch between jobs and training, and funding problems. Next, the report presents national issues reflected in the SLS (i.e., changes in the involvement of the federal government and changing demographics) and particular issues facing California (e.g., the delineation between the functions of high schools and community colleges, course classification, general education requirements, and tuition and fees). The following section examines the ways in which these issues are being addressed by state and federal legislatures, industry, and the educational community. After a discussion of policy questions raised by the SLS, the report outlines SLS findings related to policies in the areas of curriculum design and delivery, student enrollment patterns, the special needs of vocational students, and the changing student population. Finally, a series of recommendations are offered for curriculum modification, special services, competency-based modular instruction, and industry cooperation. (KL)