TO ASSIST IN DEVELOPING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR OFF-FARM AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS, A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO IDENTIFY OCCUPATIONS, WHICH WERE EMERGING AND DEVELOPING, DECREASING IN IMPORTANCE, AND IN NEED OF EMPLOYEES WITH SPECIAL TRAINING. A STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLE OF 495 AGRICULTURAL BUSINESSES WAS INTERVIEWED BY A TRAINED TEAM USING AN INTERVIEW SCHEDULE. IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT 2,823 NEW EMPLOYEES WOULD BE NEEDED IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO ACCOMMODATE BUSINESS GROWTH, AND 1,475 EMPLOYEES WOULD BE NEEDED DURING THE NEXT YEAR TO ACCOMMODATE BOTH GROWTH AND TURNOVER. EMPLOYERS DIVIDED ESSENTIAL DUTIES OF EMPLOYEES INTO WORKING WITH (1) PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE FIRM, (2) FELLOW PERSONNEL, (3) PRODUCTION, PRODUCTS, MATERIALS, OR SERVICE, (4) EQUIPMENT, TOOLS, SUPPLIES, AND INSTRUMENTS, AND (5) BUSINESS PROBLEMS. SPECIFIC SKILLS WERE IDENTIFIED FOR EACH AREA. AGRICULTURAL SUBJECTS MOST FREQUENTLY SELECTED AS NEEDED WERE--(1) GENERAL AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE, (2) SALESMANSHIP, (3) TRACTOR, POWER UNITS, AND MECHANICS, (4) SOILS AND CROPS, AND (5) AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS. CONCLUSIONS WERE--(1) THERE IS NEED FOR EMPLOYEES IN AGRICULTURAL BUSINESSES, (2) EMPLOYERS FAVORED A PLAN OF TRAINING FOR EMPLOYEES, THE TRAINING TO BE DONE BY AN AGENCY OUTSIDE OF THEIR OWN COMPANIES, AND (3) GUIDELINES FOR PLANNING TRAINING PROGRAMS WERE DIFFICULT TO ISOLATE. (JM)