A collaborated effort between vocational education and the private sector began under the Job Training Partnership Act in order to provide job training and related services. Funding was provided in order to determine what training programs were needed and how these programs should be implemented. These funds were not to be used for employment subsistence, but a majority of the money was to be spent directly on training. Summer youth employment programs were also established and the Job Corps program was continued.

The ineffectiveness of public education and a call for reform were addressed in the report, Nation at Risk: Imperative for Educational Reform. Educational reform became a public priority.

The Unfinished Agenda: The Role of Vocational Education in the High School was subsequently released in response to this first report, after it failed to address the role of vocational education.

The Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act was passed with two major goals, one economic and the other social. The economic goal was to improve the skills of the labor force and prepare adults for job opportunities. The social goal was to provide equal opportunities for adults in vocational education. The act called for the development of quality vocational education programs to meet the needs of the workforce and improve productivity and promote economic growth. Services were to be developed to meet the needs of special populations, such as disadvantaged or handicapped individuals. This act was one of the most comprehensive in attempting to meet the needs of special populations.