The 1980 General Assembly created the Joint Subcommittee on Vocational-Technical and Career Education to study and make recommendations for the improvement of vocational-technical and career education in Virginia. (House Joint Resolution No. 97) The subcommittee limited its study to twelve issues identified during its initial meetings. In an effort to solicit public opinion on each of the issues, the subcomittee held public hearings in Fairfax, Norfolk, Richmond, and Roanoke. Approximately 1,000 persons attended the public hearings and more than 135 interested citizens testified. This testimony strongly supported increased emphasis upon vocational-technical education and career education.

Several alternative recommendations were considered for each of the twelve Issues studied by the subcommittee. The subcommittee made recommendations on seven of the twelve, but felt it did not receive sufficient data from the Department of Education to arrive at recommendations for the other five issues. The subcommittee made its report to the Governor and General Assembly through House Document No. 21. In its report, the subcommittee recommended that it be continued for another year and that the Department of Education supply it with the data and analyses necessary to make recommendations for the remaining five issues. House Joint Resolution No. 225 continued the subcommittee for the purpose of receiving and studying the data requested of the Department of Education, and directed the subcommittee to make recommendations to the 1982 General Assembly regarding those five issues.