This document contains 15 papers from a conference on preparing youth for the 21st century that was organized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The following papers are included: "Giving Young People a Good Start: The Experience of OECD Countries" (Norman Bowers, Anne Sonnet, Laura Bardone); "The Youth Job Market Problem at Y2K" (Richard B. Freeman); "Improving Educational Performance of At-Risk Youth" (Peter Mortimore, Jo Mortimore); "The Korsor Production School and the Danish Production Schools" (Gert Moeller, Verner Ljung); "Improving Pathways in the United States from High School to College and Career" (David Stern); "The Contribution of Education and Training to the Employability of Youth: Changing Concerns, Debates, and Measures" (Ulrich Teichler); "Youth Labour Market Entry in France" (Patrick Werquin); "The Transition from Initial Education to the Labour Market: Recent Experience in the United States" (Lisa M. Lynch); "The Japanese Employment System and Youth Labour Market" (Naoki Mitani); "Youth Unemployment in OECD Countries: How Can the Disparities Be Explained?" (Olivier Marchand); "Labour Market Policies for Disadvantaged Young People in Europe" (Ides Nicaise); "Lessons from Education and Training for Youth: Five Precepts" (W. Norton Grubb); "Promoting Employment for Youth: A European Perspective" (Jerome Gautie); "Improving Job Market Outcomes for Youth: The U.S. Experience with Demand Side Approaches" (Robert L. Lerman); and "The School-to-Work Transition Twenty Years On: Issues, Evidence, and Conundrums" (Paul Ryan). Most papers include substantial bibliographies. (MN)