The transition from school to work and preparation for working life are important to all youth and young adults, but particularly to those who have dropped out of or finished school without the diploma or qualifications that are their entry ticket to the working world. The latter may face special difficulty in entering the job market and considerable dependence on welfare services as adults. This review maps school-to-work transition systems for youth and young adults at risk (aged 15-24) in the U.S. and other OECD countries. These include:
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Programs to promote the employability of youth and young adults at risk who dropped out of the school system
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Various models combining academic with vocational studies or education with workplace experience (e.g., apprenticeship), aimed at varied populations from more normative youth to youth at severe risk
The review discusses the advantages and problems of different transition systems and the issues involved in their effective implementation.
Some countries offer a “safety net” in the school-to-work transition for youth on the verge of dropping out or youth and young adults out of school or work. These nets may include preferential access to jobs; involvement of government and business to create a range of training opportunities and workplaces; information and guidance to match abilities and interests to jobs or training courses, such as alternative study frameworks for youth on the verge of dropping out and continuous-study frameworks.
The various transition programs preparing youth and young adults at risk for the working world seem to share a number of characteristics that have been associated with positive outcomes:
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Comprehensiveness – parallel components of study, work, and treatment
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Individual support including long-term follow-up
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Empowerment via volunteer community work
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Fostering a positive peer group culture
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Engaging the business sector to open up employment doors for the young
On the other hand, the main factors associated with negative outcomes are:
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One-dimensional, single-occurrence or short-term interventions
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Absence of support services for participants
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Insufficient investment in training and strengthening program implementation staff
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Focusing on the participants’ problems instead of developing and encouraging their strengths
This review of the literature was presented to policymakers and professionals dealing with youth at risk and serves as a basis for developing and implementing programs aimed at improving their employability. The review underpins evaluation studies of such programs and a survey of barriers to the entry of young adults into Israel’s working world, which are currently being conducted by the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute.
The review was initiated by Ashalim and funded with its assistance.