Objective information concerning the impact of automation on educational and training requirements was obtained for 132 employees engaged in electron tube, computer, and steel manufacturing processes through management questionnaire responses, analysis of job functions, and employer interviews before and after the introduction of automation. The machine feeding and tending jobs, low functional level jobs, that emerge in continuous materials processing and automatic inspection, required the same or less education than the hand assembling or testing jobs they replaced. The machine processes which involve set up, operation, and minor maintenance, high functional level jobs, required significantly higher education than hand assembly or operation of single purpose machines. High functional level jobs involving major responsibility for the set up, operation, and product quality of automated machines having self-adjusting electronic features had an increased orientation to data and less direct contact with things and required training of a technical nature in addition to broad job experience. Jobs in automated situations, other than the machine feeding and tending jobs, were considered more interesting and challenging, but also more tension producing, due to the higher responsibility associated with them. (HC)