Despite the recent emphasis on teaching the basic skills at the high school level, educators must not forget that vocational education, and apprenticeship training in particular, remains as important as ever to the economic development of the Nation. To meet the mandate for linkages and collaboration that appears in the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984, the Department of Education (DOE) has taken the following steps: (1) formulation of an interagency agreement with the Department of Labor to coordinate apprenticeship training and vocational education activities; (2) development of collaborative linkages with the Department of Defense to ensure that the U.S. civilian labor force has the skills needed by defense-related industries; (3) provision of funds for a project, entitled the Precision Metalworking Skills Project, to enhance the skills and qualifications of persons entering skilled trades in the area of precision metalworking and to encourage students to consider a career in that field (in which a trade shortage of 238,000 workers over the next five years is projected); (4) establishment of awards to identify outstanding vocational education programs; and (5) organization of the Business-Higher Education Forum to encourage cooperation and collaboration among representives of the business and academic communities in the United States. (MN)