A study, using both qualitative and quantitative data, examined factors affecting job placement of former secondary vocational education students. The study involved the following four data collection procedures: (1) analysis of existing data concerning educational, social, and economic factors for all 50 states, with a more detailed analysis of data in 584 local education agencies in seven states, (2) questionnaires sent to 22,000 respondents in 62 local secondary education sites in the seven states, (3) a comprehensive review of literature, and (4) case studies conducted in eight local secondary education sites in seven states. The dependent variable for the study was the percentage of former secondary vocational education students from a local education agency employed in a field related to their training. Data revealed eight major categories of factors affecting job placement of these students. The factors are community; labor market; education; philosophy; legislation, regulation, and funding mechanisms; curriculum; teachers; and admissions. Other factors isolated include student clubs and community and school concurrence in viewing vocationally educated students as a valued economic resource. (A selected bibliography is included.) (MN)