First experiences on the labour market have a profound influence on later working life. This report on the United States contains a survey of the main barriers to employment for young people, an assessment of the adequacy and effectiveness of existing measures to improve the transition from school-to-work, and a set of policy recommendations for further action.
Abbreviations Summary and main recommendations Introduction Chapter 1. The Challenges Ahead -1. Demographic projections -2. Youth labour market outcomes -3. Beyond averages: The role of gender, education, ethnicity and age -4. Key steps in school-to-work transitions: leaving education and finding the first job -5. School-to-work transition pathways -6. Key points Chapter 2. Initial Education and Learning on the Job -1. Performance of the education system -2. Improving education outcomes through quality early-childhood education and care -3. Tackling school-failure through accurate measurement and school accountability -4. Strengthening alternative education and appllied learning routes -5. The main challenges facing the tertiary education system -6. Work and study and study at work -7. Key points Chapter 3. Removing Demand-Side Barriers -1. Economic growth and youth employment -2. Employers' perspectives on the readiness to work of new labour market entrants -3. Wages and labour costs -4. Employment protection legislation is lax in the United States -5. Key points Chapter 4. Workforce Development: Remedial Education and Employability Measures -1. Counting disconnected youth in the United States -2. The role of the Department of Labour in helping disconnected youth: the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) formula grants -3. What works for disconnected youth: nationwide programmes and their evaluation -4. Benefits and re-employment services for the unemployed and disabled youth -5. Key points Bibliography