The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) conducted a thematic review to identify changes in young people's transition to working life during the 1990s and to identify those policies and programs that are effective in delivering successful transition outcomes for young people. The review focused on 14 countries with widely different economic contexts, populations, and forms of government. The following items were identified as key ingredients of successful transition systems: a healthy economy; well-organized pathways connecting initial education with work and further study; widespread opportunities to combine workplace experience with education; tightly knit safety nets for those at risk; good information and guidance; and effective institutions and processes. (Twenty-two figures are included. The bibliography contains 165 references. The following items are appended: lists of national coordinators and review team members; a list of consultants' papers; 22 statistical tables; detailed guidelines for labor market indicators of transition outcomes in comparative studies; a comprehensive framework for indicators of the transition for initial education to working life; a discussion of the relationship between low education levels and labor market disadvantage; a discussion of the availability of indicators of key transition goals; and country codes used in tables and charts.) (MN)