An exploratory study sought to examine the special educational needs of young people with disabilities preparing for the transition from school to adulthood. Major issues addressed were citizenship (social and life skills), the world of work, and recreation. Students aged 14 and above from several European countries who were perceived as having…

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 guide for Private Industry Council (PIC) officers, members, and staff is written to assist in planning and overseeing effective programs for youth at risk in the local labor market using resources allocated under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). Section I takes a broad view of the problem of building effective employability…

There have been numerous attempts over the past seven years to replace the federally-funded Work Incentive Program (WIN) with another type of work program. As a result of increased flexibility, decreased federal funds, and continuing debate about welfare reform, there is now considerable variability among states in the types of employment and…

These three essays are intended to provide an overview of southern efforts to help increased numbers of young persons make a successful transition from school to work with a future. The first paper, "Smoothing the Path from School to Work: A Promising Venture in Structural Change in a Southern State," by Peter B. Edelman and Myrtis H.…

Many youth face the following educational and economic barriers to success: (1) increased high school dropout rates; (2) adolescent pregnancy; (3) chronic unemployment; (4) poverty; (5) drug abuse; (6) suicide; and (7) crime and delinquency. The Atlantic Community College (New Jersey) Youth Corps Program, a successful conservation and service…

These 19 papers from the second annual Policy Forum on Employability Development explore the responsiveness of various educational and training institutions to changing labor market demands. The first three papers provide an overview of the forum. They summarize the proceedings and policy considerations and address how vocational education and…

This guide provides an introduction to competency-based employment and training under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). The guide describes in general terms the steps service delivery areas should take to implement competency-based employment and training systems for youth. The content is based on the experiences of practitioners, and it is…

This document presents a proposal for a two-tiered community service and youth employment program. The first chapter presents youth employment data, describes the need for a work-education and community investment strategy, and discusses the proposal's underlying philosophical and economic ideas. Chapter II reviews four categories of successful…

Basic principles for the establishment of a comprehensive youth education and employment system are offered in this guide, with particular focus on those youth who are at greatest risk of becoming or remaining chronically unemployed. Drawing on the knowledge generated by research and operational experience over the past decade, the guide proposes…

This document consists of three closely related reports, dealing with "State Governments", "Regional Councils", and "Local Econcomic Development Agencies", respectively, together with a fourth document, a preceding overview. These documents draw from results of a project to identify successful approaches to coordinating economic development and…

In preparation for 1989 reauthorization hearings, the General Accounting Office (GAO) examined how well the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984 is being implemented. The GAO reviewed the vocational education activities in six socioeconomically diverse states, visiting 20 vocational education institutions and observing 70 local…

The National Governors' Association's Making America Work initiative had a dual focus. Five task forces spent a year developing action agendas to address five barriers to self-sufficiency and productivity: teenage pregnancy, adult illiteracy, welfare dependency, alcohol and drug abuse, and dropping out of school. The second phase of the initiative…

A description is provided of the first-year activities of Clackamas County's Vocational Options Program (VOP), a program for high-risk youth focusing on affective skills, pre-employment training, specific job skill training, employment placement, and independent living. Part I looks at the employment training needs of young people in Clackamas…

A study examined the barriers that Missouri women encounter when trying to gain access to better-paying jobs; trends in women's employment status in the state; and the services that women receive from the state's existing employment, training, and supportive services. A total of 2,104 women were contacted through a random statewide household…