Vocational education was largely established on the principle of nontransferability. However, vocational education and academic education have many similarities. Indeed, the difference between basic and academic skills has often been defined in terms of rigor. Basic skills are those concrete skills that are generally taught at the elementary level, whereas academic skills are those that require an understanding of laws, principles, and phenomena. If most people learn best by moving from the concrete to the abstract, then a society that promotes compulsory education must acknowledge the value of vocational education as a method of educating students in concrete knowledge that can extend as far as possible into abstract thought. Vocationalism often reinforces academic concepts, and in some instances, vocational educators teach academics (especially basic skills) in order to teach a vocational skill. Studies indicate that little collaboration exists between vocational and academic teachers. In view of the technological and information booms that are underway and increasing skills demands placed on entry workers, vocational and academic teachers must increase their understanding of what each other teaches, with vocational teachers assuming the role of a reinforcer who acknowledges and respects the value of other subject areas. (MN)