Discussed is how to bridge the gap that separates new high school graduates from good jobs. The obstacles that students face, systems used in other countries for integrating young people into the workforce, the lack of a system in the United States, and key features that are needed for effective school-to-work transition programs are described.…

Information is provided concerning efforts to improve institutional arrangements for the transition from school to work of high school graduates. Half of all high school graduates move into the workforce, but the attention given this group is almost always in terms of whether they are academically and vocationally equipped before they leave…

A compilation of three papers commissioned by the National Institute of Education, this study discusses the use of community education and work councils (CEWCs) as ways to improve school-to-work and work-to-school transitions for youth and adults. The first paper (1) elaborates the idea of councils comprised of business, industry, education, labor…

A change is needed in the present arrangements for the transition of youth (ages 14 to 20) from education to work to improve their access to roles which aid in occupational maturity. There are a number of components to an improvement effort and, within the components, there are alternative approaches such as starting with a process rather than a…

In rethinking its policy with regard to involvement in the vocational education enterprise, the federal government must consider traditional educational goals as well as recent social, economic, and demographic changes. If the idea of vocational education as part of the public school system is going to work, it is necessary to make vocational…