Young people need clear pathways to navigate from K-12 education into careers that align with their interests, strengths, and life goals. But they often lack the information, support, and access to choose and complete postsecondary pathways that are right for them. The federal government can play an important role in bridging this gap, by…

The Wolf Report (2011) made clear that the proliferation of low-level vocational qualifications was in need of reform. It was thought that too many of these qualifications lacked substance, had little value in the jobs market and provided a weak platform for further development. Amongst the report's recommendations, which were largely accepted and…

Social ecological and dynamic systems theories propose that human development is shaped by the cumulative impact of social interactions in proximal and distal settings, which are themselves influenced by social and economic forces. The understanding of the links between microsystem-level factors (such as parenting styles and parent-child…

In the 21st century, the idea of preparing youth for the workforce has taken on new meaning. The shift to a knowledge economy has brought widespread concern that young people are entering the workforce without the skills employers value most, such as communication, critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork skills. As youth programs evaluate how…

An emerging body of research suggests that a set of broad "21st century skills"--such as adaptability, complex communication skills, and the ability to solve non-routine problems--are valuable across a wide range of jobs in the national economy. However, the role of K-12 education in helping students learn these skills is a subject of current…

Chinese society has a unique view of teaching and learning that has evolved from its long history and is heavily embedded in its social and cultural roots. However, no systematic effort has been made to outline how cultural factors such as values and beliefs influence learning. This paper identifies traditional Chinese values and beliefs in…

Policies to regulate and support labor markets in the United States have mainly been an initiative of the federal government. Historically, states and localities were reluctant to act independently to build up worker rights and protections for fear of competitively disadvantaging resident industries with added costs. Federal constitutional…

In the last decade, there has been a greater demand for high skills to match jobs in the new economy. Are youth changing the time spent in schooling and work? Are youth studying longer? Are they working earlier? Are they combining work and studying? Are they training more? And finally, did the changes come at a price? Using the General Social…

The labor market prospects of out-of-school young adults and options for improving the employment and earnings potential of all young adults were examined. The following issues were among those considered: demographic and social factors affecting young adults' employment prospects; employment trends and labor market problems in the United States…