This report summarizes a national invitational conference at which 36 representatives from business, industry, education, and government addressed the ways in which the issues of skill obsolescence, unemployment, illiteracy, displacement, and finance of career development affect adult learners, employers, and providers of education and training. The first section lists the conference objectives. Reported next are the opening remarks delivered by Tony Carnevale, an economist who spoke of the natural tension between U.S. educational and other (especially economic) institutions. The next section includes brief descriptions and contact persons of 32 exemplary collaborative projects and national resource organizations serving adult clients including the following: Arizona Business-Industry-Education Council Career Advancement Project; Boston College Worker Education for the 1980s; Career Development Council Worker Retraining Project; Compact for Lifelong Educational Opportunities Educational Maintenance Organization; Tuition Aid Project of the Industry Education Council of Contra Costa County, California; Public Investment in Higher Education project of the New England Board of Higher Education; Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA)-Adult Basic Education project of Rio Salado Community College; Rural Educational Adult Development in Idaho (READI) Project; National Committee for Reschooling the Adult Worker; and Human Resources Development Institute of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). The final section of the report summarizes the closing remarks, which were delivered by Arlon Elser. (MN)