Demographic, economic, and educational indicators, especially as shown in the Marion County Youth Study, suggest that strategies that deal with the problems of rural youth and which assume mobility to metropolitan areas may be outmoded and inadequate. Outmigration is, however, faced by many rural youth and its success is dependent upon formal credentials. There is need for a strategy which combines educational preparation, opportunities for enhancing successful outmigration, and innovative public employment. In particular, a new careers program in the human services area could provide untrained non-metropolitan workers with a variety of lower level positions (research assistants, teacher aides, nurses' aides) while providing on-the-job training. Such a program would offer non-metropolitan youth a means to develop both skills and status, achieve personal realization and dignity, and learn skills marketable in both metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. It is a method through which non-metropolitan areas themselves would benefit. Because much training would be at existing agency structures, limited rural resources could be stretched. While removing persons from the group needing human services, the new careers program would provide additional staff members at lower cost and gradually improve the quality of the staff in non-metropolitan areas. (SB)