This paper shows a connection between education and training activities and materialspatial conditions of secondary vocational schools. Throughout the paper, material and spatial conditions in secondary vocational schools are established with an insight about their importance for education and training activities, and the needs of teachers and students are specified. Two instruments, a teacher survey, which included a sample of 70 respondents and a semi-structured interview for pedagogues, which covered five interlocutors, were used in five secondary vocational schools in Zadar. Large parts of the obtained results indicate materialspatial deficiency of working conditions in the tested schools. The majority of interlocutors stated that current material-spatial conditions in schools are of poor quality and 47,16% respondents indicated that material-technical conditions in classrooms/workshops were only average. Besides this, more than half, that is 71,42%, respondents claimed that equipment, functionality and geographical positioning of classrooms/workshops do have an effect on their work, and the statements of the interlocutors showed that they consider investments in material and spatial conditions very much needed. Overall, it is essential to encourage awareness of the importance and necessity of investments and modernisation of material-spatial conditions of secondary vocational schools because their impact on the optimality of education and training activities is undeniable. In order to reach the most effective education and training outcomes an emphasis should be on the participatory relation of all those in contact with this topic (architects, teachers, students).