The major objective of this study was to demonstrate that an effective first-year apprentice training program (in the metal trades) could be developed in which performance was the primary criterion of success. The Performance Based Apprentice Training (PBAT) experimental group completed a full year of related instruction in an average of 61 hours (compared to an average of 187 hours for the comparison group), and scored 30 percent higher on a related instruction final examination. After less than 40 hours of training, the ratings of quality of shop performance of the PBAT group exceeded those of the comparison group after nearly 1,200 hours of shop training. The introduction of a systematically organized and administered self-paced program utilizing criterion referenced performance standards is likely to result in a significant reduction in training time, since it has been demonstrated that the most critical variable responsible for producing competent skilled tradesmen is not the number of hours spent in training, but the quality, intensity, effectiveness, and sequencing of training experiences. (Included are a 38-item bibliography and appendixes relating to descriptions of outstanding programs, behavioral objectives for related and shop instruction, review exercises, and forms and questionnaires utilized in the study.) (SC)