BASED ON A REVIEW OF REPORTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS PREPARED BY VARIOUS MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT TRAINING ACT-SPONSORED YOUTH-TRAINING PROJECTS AND ON INTERVIEWS WITH ADMINISTRATORS AND COMMUNITY RESIDENTS AT FIVE PROJECT SITES, THIS STUDY EVALUATES THE USE OF NONPROFESSIONAL STAFF IN THE OPERATION OF MANPOWER PROGRAMS. THE CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH EMPLOYMENT ARE VIEWED IN RELATION TO THE PROJECT'S PROGRAM, ITS TARGET POPULATION, THE NONPROFESSIONALS THEMSELVES, AND THE PROFESSIONAL PROJECT STAFF. CONCLUSIONS ARE -- (1) NONPROFESSIONALS HAVE NO INFLUENCE ON THE SUBSTANCE OF MANPOWER TRAINING PROGRAMS, (2) THE PRESENCE OF NONPROFESSIONALS ON PROJECT STAFFS IS FELT BY THE TARGET POPULATION, (3) THE SOCIOECONOMIC POSITIONS OF NONPROFESSIONAL STAFF HAVE CLEARLY BEEN RAISED AS A RESULT OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT, (4) THE PRESENCE OF NONPROFESSIONALS HAS INCREASED THE JOB EFFECTIVENESS OF PROFESSIONALS IN THE SAME AGENCY, (5) NONPROFESSIONAL STATUS IN ITSELF PROVIDES NO INTRINSIC MEANS FOR ACHIEVING PROGRAM OBJECTIVES, (6) PROFESSIONALS AND ADMINISTRATORS HAVE TOO OFTEN USED NONPROFESSIONALS AS "SHOCK TROOPS" TO QUICKLY INCREASE THE GROSS STATISTICS OF CLIENTS SERVED BY THE AGENCY, (7) THE FAILURE TO MAKE THE NONPROFESSIONAL AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE SERVICE OFFERED HAS BEEN ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE IN MANPOWER PROGRAMS, (8) TRAINING AND PROMOTION OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NONPROFESSIONAL HAVE BEEN LACKING, AND (9) THE ONLY FORESEEABLE SOLUTION TO CHRONIC MANPOWER SHORTAGES IN THE SERVICE PROFESSIONS IS IN THE USE OF NONPROFESSIONALS. (ET)