DEVELOPED WITHIN A LARGER AND MORE INCLUSIVE FRAMEWORK, A METHOD OF IDENTIFYING COMPETENCIES AND INFORMATION ESSENTIAL TO OFF-FARM AGRICULTURE WORKERS WHO HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH FARMERS WAS DEMONSTRATED. UPON THE BASIS OF A REVIEW OF LITERATURE, A LIST OF 129 COMPETENCIES BELIEVED NECESSARY FOR THOSE EMPLOYED TO SELL, INSTALL, OR MAINTAIN BULK TANKS OR MILKING SYSTEMS, WAS PREPARED AS A QUESTIONNAIRE AND WAS COMPLETED BY 11 DAIRY INDUSTRY AUTHORITIES AND 88 MICHIGAN VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE TEACHERS. THE EXPERTS INDICATED THE VALUE AND IMPORTANCE OF COMPETENCIES, WHILE TEACHERS INDICATED WHICH COMPETENCIES HAD BEEN TAUGHT DURING THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE RESPONSES OF PANEL MEMBERS SHOWED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE METHOD FOR OBTAINING THE DESIRED INFORMATION BY IDENTIFYING CONSISTENT CLUSTERS OF COMPETENCIES IN THE AREAS OF FARMING, HUMAN RELATIONS, SALESMANSHIP, AND MECHANICS AROUND WHICH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS COULD BE ORGANIZED. OVER 60 PERCENT OF THE PANEL MEMBERS RATED NEARLY THREE-FOURTHS OF THE 129 COMPETENCIES AS VALUABLE AND INDICATED THAT OVER ONE-HALF OF THE COMPETENCIES WERE IMPORTANT DURING INITIAL EMPLOYMENT, WHILE SLIGHTLY FEWER THAN ONE-FOURTH OF THE COMPETENCIES WERE IMPORTANT DURING LATER STAGES WHEN WORKERS INSTALL, AS WELL AS SELL AND MAINTAIN, EQUIPMENT. TEACHERS INDICATED THAT FEW OF THE IDENTIFIED COMPETENCIES WERE BEING TAUGHT. THIS PH.D. THESIS, SUBMITTED TO MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, IS AVAILABLE AS 65-1741 FOR $3.25 ON MICROFILM AND FOR $11.25 AS XEROXED COPY FROM UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS, INC., 300 NORTH ZEEB ROAD, ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN 48106. (JM)