This research study is designed to take an initial step in the direction of determining whether cooperative office education programs are more effective in teaching clerical skills, in preparing students for office employment, and in helping them to achieve employment and job success than classroom-laboratory training in office skills alone.

This study was undertaken in order to determine the specific business training needs of the office employees in Waynesboro, Virginia, and to develop recommendations for the institution of in-service training programs. A survey of a representative group was made by having the employers and the employee evaluate job competencies in selected areas of their work. The conclusions of this study were as follows: 1. The secretaries and their supervisors would like in-service training programs in the area of shorthand, typewriting, reception duties, and business English. 2. The accountants and their supervisors would like in-service training programs in the areas of handling depreciation and amortization, reserves and surpluses, taxation and social security, accruals and deferrals, and analyzing financial statements. 3. The clerical workers and their supervisors would like in-service training programs in the areas of typewriting, telephone techniques, reception duties, handling the mail, business English, human relations, usage of forms, penmanship, personality development, and grooming. 4. A majority of the participants of the survey would prefer that training programs covering the above areas be held in the schools in the evenings. / Master of Science