Debate continues about the appropriate role for vocational education at the secondary level. The many educational reform reports issued during the early to mid-1980s initiated a reexamination of the role of secondary vocational education. As a result of the reform reports, high school graduation requirements in academic areas have increased, and the amount of time left for vocational education courses has been reduced. The amount and type of vocational courses needed has become an issue, with one faction calling for increased academic requirements for noncollege-bound youth and the other calling for increased job-specific training to prepare noncollege-bound youth for entry into the work force. The increasing numbers of at-risk youth have intensified this debate because secondary vocational education programs can provide an avenue to a productive life for many members of at-risk populations. Proponents who argue that vocational education should focus on general employability believe that specific skill training is best left to employers. Opponents to a focus on general employability training argue that high school may be the only opportunity for many youths to acquire job training. (A 25-item list of print resources and resource organizations is included.) (MN)