An enormous body of literature illuminates various facets of the relationship between education and employment. Views of the proper role of education have ranged from cultural transmission to societal transformation and individual development, to the current belief that it prepares for transition to adulthood, i.e., the movement from school to work. The majority of research on the education-work relationship has used the status-attainment model to demonstrate that educational level is strongly related to occupational attainment. However, the experience of blacks and women, who are overrepresented in traditional, low-level, and low-paying occupations, refutes this explanation. There is evidence that the differential returns to education for minorities and women result from continued discrimination in hiring and compensation. Another issue of education-work research concerns the benefits of vocational education. Despite the evidence, researchers appear reluctant to conclude that it provides little advantage. However, it may be more appropriate to judge vocational education by how well it does what it is meant to do. Research has also found that many workers are severely disadvantaged by lack of basic, employability, and job adjustment skills. Evidence also exists that both transferable and transfer skills are necessary for occupational adaptability. Research indicates that these skills are learned mostly in the work environment and not in school. This body of research could be improved by focus on specification of variables, less reliance on economic formulations and overinterpretation of data, increased hypothesis testing, and interdisciplinary collaboration. (SK)