This article concerns the contexts of carrying out the research Vocational education and school dropout in Brazil. This inquiry tries to identify the factors that contribute to the student’s persistence (continuation) or dropout in vocational and technical education in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It begins with discussing some of the conditions which favor student persistence or dropout. It next examines the context of Brazilian educational policies and the relationship between basic education and vocational education. It also points out the scarcity of theoretical and empirical information on the question. To illustrate the problem it gives some empirical data related to access and dropout in Vocational Education in Brazil and, more specifically, in the state of Minas Gerais. Finally, it presents some preliminary conclusions.