Youth jobs can serve as an introduction to employment, but few jobs for young adults in their 20s make use of their skills. Young people will be motivated to succeed in school only when they can find employment in jobs that pay well above minimum wage and provide benefits, security, and opportunities for advancement. In order to improve the prospects of youth, a career opportunity system is needed. Work-based learning is at the core of an effective career opportunity system, and youth apprenticeship is the most highly developed form of work-based learning. Tech prep is another means of relating school to employment, and cooperative education is a related approach. The challenge is for all educators and employers to bring existing components together as a coherent whole that serves the needs of all young people. The components of a career opportunity system should include the following: career information and advising, high academic standards for all, career majors and career academies, and work-based learning. Partnerships must be formed among schools, employers, government, the community, students, and parents, with defined responsibilities for each partner. An organizing mechanism is needed to provide overall support and coordination for the system. The School-to-Work Opportunities Act provides a basis but not a blueprint for starting a career opportunity system for noncollege-bound youths. (Contains 30 references.) (KC)