The Role of Youth Skills Development in the Transition to Work: A Global Review

The World Bank’s World Development Report of 2007, Development and the Next Generation, examines the choices made by youth 15-24 years of age in education, work, health, family formation, and citizenship and how these choices shape the future well-being of individuals and nations. As part of the background preparation for this study of youth transitions, this paper was prepared examining the role played by skills development in the transition from school to work. The paper explores outcomes associated with choices of general and vocational curricula in school settings, apprenticeship and other strategies for linking schooling and work, and for meeting the second-chance needs of youth who fail to acquire early education as a foundation for workplace skills. Findings from rigorous program evaluations, mostly in advanced countries and some in developing countries, are emphasized along with effective strategies for equipping youth with skills to make the transition to work.