Pathways and hurdles for some youth in the school-to-work transition

The school-to-work transition is more difficult in countries where the dominant transition model is “study first, then work” and is easier in countries where combining study and work is frequent. Multiple pathways between school and work do exist and this highlights successes and failures. Two groups of youth, in particular, face structural difficulties in getting a stable job after leaving school: the groups of so-called “youth left behind” and “poorly-integrated new entrants”. Policy measures for the first group should help them to gain the skills needed on the labour market while policy measures for the second group should also tackle demand-side barriers to youth employment. The ongoing jobs crisis is putting these two groups of disadvantaged youth under even greater stress and is likely to increase their numbers.