This report, a product of the Commission on Youth and America's Future, addresses the problem of the approximately 20 million 16- to 24-year-olds who are not likely to attend college. Although many youth without college education are successful, a large fraction are not and need help to succeed. However, the portrait of them as troubled and in trouble is belied by the fact that dropout and teenage pregnancy statistics have declined, drug use is declining, and most youth do have some kind of job. The American people should set as a public policy goal the improvement of employment and earning levels for those lacking a college education. The primary problem lies with the economy, and the paths for youth to enter it, rather than with the youth themselves. Schools should be improved to give youth a better first chance, yet education alone cannot compensate for the substantial changes in the labor market. Community institutions, with schools in the vanguard, should break down the barriers between school and work; a number of programs and policies that can do this are suggested. Federal funding should be increased, and programs--such as the Job Corps, local youth corps, and the armed forces--that provide "added chance" opportunities should be expanded. Lifelong learning programs should be extended to benefit the unemployed and the under-employed. Three appendices present an agenda for action with recommendations; summarize the ingredients of effective programs; and describe the study process of this report. (BJV)