The Title 8, program of the National Defense Education Act of 1958 was a great spur to this trend toward area schools. By 1960 there were such schools in all but 4 states. They were operating in 10 of the 17 major areas of chronic labor surplus and in 10 of the minor areas. An extension of this program into the other distressed areas should be undertaken.

Some of this trend toward area vocational schools has been related to the problems of persistent labor surplus areas and their desire to attract new industry.

The major training need of a new industrial plant is a short period of pre employment training for a large number of semi-skilled machine operators. A few key skilled workers experienced in the company's type of work usually must be brought in with the plant manager, or hired away from a similar plant elsewhere. A prospective industry also may be interested in the long-run advantages of training programs in the area to supply future skilled workers and provide supplementary extension courses for its employees.

The existence of a public school vocational training program in trade and industry provides a base from which such needs can be filled. Additional courses can readily be added and special cooperative programs worked out with any new industry if the basic facilities, staff and program are in being. Thus, besides the training provided to youth in school, the existence of the school program can have supplementary benefits to industry which make it an asset to industrial development efforts.