This article examines the precarious learning-to-work transitions experienced by aboriginal youth in the Canadian oil sands mining industry. Drawing from an empirical case study of a mine-sponsored, pre-apprenticeship training programme, challenges experienced by programme participants, as well as their socialisation into the world of work are…

A key challenge in formative evaluation is to gather appropriate evidence to inform the continuous improvement of initiatives. In the absence of outcome data, the programme evaluator often must rely on the perceptions of beneficiaries and staff in generating insight into what is making a difference. The article describes the approach adopted in an…

Background: The current global cohort of youth has been called "a generation at-risk", marked by a dramatic rise in youth who are not in employment, education or training programmes. In 2010, youth were three times as likely as adults to be unemployed, with youth unemployment worsening in 2012 and 2013. Accordingly, there is an urgent…

This monograph examines ways in which state level policies have facilitated the orderly planning and delivery of transition services for youth with serious emotional disorders. It describes the categories of policies (legislative acts and interagency agreements) and analyzes six categories of policy content. Nine components necessary in a…

The third biannual Brathay Youth Conference focused on ways to help young people negotiate the key transitions in their lives and the role of informal and experiential learning in such strategies. This document summarizes speeches, workshops, and research reports presented at the conference. The speeches were (1) welcome and introduction (Steve…

In June 1993, a symposium was held in New York City, Albany, Rochester, and Long Island to introduce the German "dual system" of education and training for youth making the school-to-work transition. Four representatives of the German education and training system and more than 500 representatives of New York's business, labor,…

Questionnaires completed by 777 participants evaluated 32 pilot summer programs in the United Kingdom designed to help high-risk 16-year-olds make the transition from secondary school to adult life and to enhance eight personal and social skills through outdoor activities. Results indicate the programs had a positive impact, but numerous…

This guide is for all school leaders, and pastoral care, support and teaching staff who work with young people who are preparing to move on from secondary schooling to the next stage in their lives. It is also for people who work in partnership with the school to support young people who are going into employment or continuing their learning, for…

School-to-work transition (SWT) programs are comprehensive programs to prepare young people for high-skill, high-wage careers and teach them the basic skills needed to pursue postsecondary education/lifelong learning. Interest in SWT programs has been stimulated by several factors, including declining U.S. competitiveness in the global market, the…

Although the school-to-work and youth development fields come from very different beginnings, they share the goal of preparing all young people, including "high-risk youth," for adulthood by learning in context, actively participating in their own learning, and being challenged and supported to excel. Despite their shared visions for…

Work force development systems have three primary subsystems: youth development and preparation for employment, adult work force entry, and worker retraining and transition assistance. Programs targeting youth pose one of the greatest challenges to those striving to develop or improve work force development systems. School-to-work will not…

This report reviews a conference for researchers, administrators, planners, and practitioners from countries with varying socioeconomic and cultural systems to exchange ideas and experiences about youth programs designed to ease the transition from formal schooling to the workplace. Part I contains an overview of the conference proceedings and a…

Alternance training and employment policy should improve youth employment prospects in the European community in three ways. It should enhance young people's employability, improve youth's motivation and clarify vocational options, and better prepare youth to adapt to abrupt changes in job content. Because alternance training is concerned with…

This paper explores the challenges of partnership through an examination of a high school apprenticeship program in carpentry in Ontario, Canada. Focusing on the relationships between schools, trainers, employers and government, challenges relate to the ability to coordinate the program across institutions, achieve agreement on goals, gain…

Factors such as the widespread corporate restructuring of the 1980s, international pressures, and technological advancement have created a youth employment crisis. Schools cannot singlehandedly educate students for the new jobs of the 1990s because they lack the understanding of today's workplace needs, technology, and funding. Employers,…