This paper reflects the ambiguous concept of employability and its use as an instrument to fight against youth unemployment. Generally, this concept refers to educational capital which workers acquire to enhance their possibilities of being employed and productive, without taking into account factors, such as sex, nationality, the social class…

Today, young black men in many low income communities are finding themselves virtually locked out of employment opportunity. The confluence of poor schooling, low education attainment, lack of early work experience or career exposure, over-zealous arrests and incarceration, and employer reluctance to hire have rendered a substantial segment of…

Work experiences are a critical component of preparing youth for transition to adulthood. Potential benefits for youth who participate in work experiences include: 1) gaining career readiness skills including the "soft skills" that employers look for in entry level workers; 2) increasing one's knowledge of specific occupational skills…

How do unattached Jamaican youth regard their educational and employment prospects? We investigate perceptions by out-of-school, unattached youth, ages 14-24, who are neither employed nor attending training program. From a human capital theoretical perspective, and based on surveys of Jamaican youth, we explore the prevalence and variability of…

The idea of pathways indicates many possible journeys to some destination or outcome. Hence, even if everyone agreed that Indigenous school leavers should be moving towards "productive" employment, it is not easy to talk about "what works" as there are different paths that may suit different people. Indeed given the diverse…

We analyze school attrition among youth in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand. We find that family investments in schooling are shaped by both household and local community contexts. There is an enrollment advantage for girls across different households and communities. We find that youth whose mothers have migrated and youth in immigrant households…

The Great Recession left a crater in the labor market that has been devastating for unemployed Americans of all ages. After more than two years of unemployment at well over 8%, there is a hole of more than 11 million jobs, with average spells of unemployment lasting nearly nine months. The weak labor market has been particularly tough on young…

WorkReady programs offer young Philadelphians not only their first job, but skills for success. Young people who work during high school often master valuable skills that can help them do better in high school and college; learn new things that open their eyes to career possibilities; and earn more money later in life. When young people learn how…

Although it seems plausible that a decline in the youth population would lead to a shortage of youth labor, this conclusion is based on unfounded assumptions and anecdotal accounts. Employment opportunities for teenagers are declining faster than the teenage population. (LHW)

Author draws our attention to the seiousness of the Coleman Report on Youth and hopes the report will stimulate the nation to seek new solutions to the problems of its young people. (Editor/RK)

Examines the Program for Local Service (PLS), which began in 1943 in the Seattle area. Essentially, the program provided for youth volunteers to serve in approved public or nonprofit organizations. (Author/AM)

The document is a copy of Public Law 93-408 enacted by the 93rd Congress, September 3, 1974 to amend the Youth Conservation Corps Act of 1970 in order to expand and make permanent the Youth Conservation Corps. The amended provisions deal with policy and purposes of the Corps, and qualifications, equal opportunity, employment, and term of…

As part of an effort to reduce inequalities in economic opportunities confronting the young, this general model of youth behavior and opportunity was developed. Underlying the model are three sets of variables which influence economic opportunities: experience, perceptions, and opportunities. The relations between behavior at a point in time and…

The current interest in youth employment seems likely to produce new legislation. In developing legislation to deal with youth unemployment, both the ultimate goal and the devices for achieving it should be weighed carefully. (Author/AM)