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A study examined the need and demand for communication skills for employees in the technical fields for which Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute offers programs of academic preparation. Two members of the Institute's English Department interviewed representatives of organizations that have hired technical program graduates. Further corollary interviews of the Institute's instructors were also conducted to acquaint the interviewers with salient facts about the technologies covered in the study. The interviewers collected detailed information on the communication skills needed to prepare workers for the following occupations: automotive; building construction; culinary arts and hotel, motel, and restaurant management; dietary technician; electrical/electronics; fire science; heating and air conditioning; law enforcement technology; machine tool technology; applied marine biology and oceanography; marine science deck and engineering; plant and soil technology; plumbing; practical nursing; radiation therapy, radiologic technology; respiratory therapy; and wastewater technology. Reading skills were deemed especially important inasmuch as persons in technical occupations must frequently undergo further training after they have been on their jobs for some time. Writing skills, although frequently not a concern for entry-level employees, become increasingly crucial as workers are promoted or branch out into different areas of an organization. Although public speaking skills did not appear an across-the-board concern, they were very important in certain occupational areas (such as hospitality occupations). (The survey instrument and a list of persons interviewed are appended.) (MN)