DECISIONS TO TRAIN TECHNICIANS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES MAY HAVE TO DEPEND MORE ON FEASIBILITY THAN DESIRABILITY. ALTHOUGH LOCAL INDUSTRIAL NEEDS CAN USUALLY BE DETERMINED WITH EASE, THE COLLEGE MAY NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO INTRODUCE AND MAINTAIN PROGRAMS OF SUFFICIENTLY HIGH QUALITY TO MEET THEM. EVEN WITH INCREASING FEDERAL AID, THE NEW OR SMALL INSTITUTION HAS TROUBLE MEETING THE HIGH COST OF FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT. IT MUST ALSO PAY MORE FOR QUALIFIED TEACHERS, WHO UNDERSTANDABLY PREFER THE LARGER CITY COLLEGES BECAUSE OF PRESTIGE, FRINGE BENEFITS, AND SUCH URBAN AMENITIES AS HOUSING, RECREATION, GRADUATE STUDY, AND CONSULTANT WORK. THE COST OF BOTH PLANT AND FACULTY WILL CONTINUE TO GROW AND ADMINISTRATORS CONCERNED WITH QUALITY MUST KEEP THIS IN MIND WHILE CONSIDERING NEW PROGRAMS. AN INNOVATION IN THE MINERAL AREA TECHNICAL LABORATORIES HAS BEEN A 3-LEVEL STAGING OF THE WORK--INSTRUCTIVE, INVESTIGATIVE, AND INVENTIVE. THE FIRST PHASE IS TRADITIONALLY DIDACTIC AND CONCERNED WITH SCIENTIFIC PROCEDURE, THE SECOND OR PROBLEM-SOLVING LEVEL PRESENTS THE STUDENT WITH EXPERIMENTS OF VARYING DEGREES OF COMPLEXITY TO SOLVE, AND THE THIRD STAGE OFFERS HIM PROBLEMS WITH NO KNOWN OR COMPLETE ANSWERS. HIS SUCCESS AT THIS POINT IS JUDGED BY HIS APPROACH TO AND INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROBLEM. THE TECHNICAL PROGRAM AS A WHOLE IS JUDGED BY THE SUCCESS OF ITS GRADUATES IN GETTING AND ADVANCING IN APPROPRIATE JOBS. THIS ARTICLE IS PUBLISHED IN "SCHOOL SHOP," VOLUME 27, NUMBER 4, DECEMBER 1967. (HH)