Essays focusing on issues concerning youth education and unemployment problems are presented in this document. It is divided into three general areas. The first, Youth Unemployment in Western Industrial Countries, reviews general dimensions of the problem, the cyclical hypothesis, the demand hypothesis, the supply hypothesis, disaggregating…

The approaches of four countries to vocational training for youth are described: West Germany's dual system; the Swedish vocational preparation system; the Certificate of Professional Aptitude in France; and Great Britain's Youth Training Scheme. (SK)

West German apprenticeship combined with part-time vocational schooling--the dual system--provides a smooth transition from school into careers for German youth. One source of complexity in the structure of apprenticeship is the relationship between apprenticeship, which is controlled nationally, and vocational schooling, which is controlled by…

Examines the comparative labor market experience of youth in the United States and eight other developed countries from 1960-1979, focusing upon unemployment levels and rates. Finds that the situation worsened in industrialized nations after the 1974-75 recession and that Japanese and German youth continue to have the most favorable job prospects.…

This report presents papers on the vocational qualifications systems in Sweden, France, the Netherlands, the Federal Republic of Germany, and England and Wales. An introduction (Russ Russell) looks at common themes. The paper on Sweden (Gun Cardell) addresses vocational education opportunities, curriculum and standards, costs, youth and…

Results of examinations of youth employment policies are presented for three countries--Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the United States. Part 1 is a report by Shirley Williams with conclusions on the broad social and economic issues as they relate to problems of youth employment and unemployment. Parts 2 through 4 are the three…

A survey investigated what employers in the Thames Valley, England, were looking for in their recruitment of young people aged 16-18. Of 600 companies, 37 percent responded. Twenty percent did not recruit at that age level; 76 percent required two advanced ("A") levels and Pass grades. Recruitment of young people with a General…

Traditionally, the road to good jobs for young persons in West Germany has been the "dual system" of vocational education and training (VET), similar to apprenticeships in the United States, but practiced on a much wider scale. A large percentage of West German youth usually enter such programs after high school in order to prepare for…

The sociological study examines behavior and consciousness of West German youth with emphasis on their political views, voting behavior, leisure activities, and spending patterns. The paper is presented in 14 sections. Section I traces political development of youth from the post World War II skepticism to current political activism. In section…

Conducted in 1955 and 1980, random sample interview data of 17 to 28 year-old West Germans from places of less than 5,000 inhabitants are used to support the thesis that the post-adolescent phase has been prolonged in the countryside of West Germany during these years of increasing technical and economic development. Findings indicate occupational…

This publication presents a collection of materials on the German experience with literacy education. A timeline offers a brief account of adult literacy in the Federal Republic of Germany. "Literacy as a Problem in the Federal Republic of Germany" identifies the causes and impacts of "second-order illiteracy" (the loss of…

Youth unemployment is hardly new, but in the 1980s it poses unprecedented problems because economic growth no longer seems to provide the necessary jobs. Youth labor markets are being stripped of entry-level jobs by new technologies, changes in the global division of labor, and the upgrading of occupational structures. This paper describes…

Based on an in-depth inquiry undertaken in 1977-78, this report identifies the extent, type, and character of inequalities in the education and training of girls in the second level of education, ages 10-18. Chapter 1, Introduction, gives background of this report sponsored by the nine European communities: Federal Republic of Germany, France,…

This book contains 12 chapters, each of which is a case study or a commentary on the unemployment of the 1980s and early 1990s and on the programs devised to retrain workers. Titles and authors are as follows: "Understanding Unemployment: A Critical Overview of Labour Market Trends, Employment, and Unemployment: (John Hughes); "A…

This bulletin contains materials--announcements, papers, and studies--that are concerned with youth policy issues and that focus on education and training. The first section, entitled Quidnunc, offers brief descriptions of projects of interest, reports recent appointments, and announces conferences. The second section, called Aspects, offers two…