Youth Unemployment and Vocational Training

This report focuses on the determinants of the labor market situation of young people in developed countries and the developing world, with a special emphasis on the role of vocational training and education policies. The study argues in favor of promoting vocational education and training tailored to labor market needs, but taking into account peculiar starting conditions found in a given national or local context. While good education and training can contribute to economic productivity and social cohesion, vocational education and on-the-job-training with young workers and companies also need to involve governments, social partners or other societal actors to be stable and effective. Given major differences in the institutional setup in different parts of the world, the paper discusses feasible options for implementing vocational training under largely differing economic and institutional conditions. In the developmental context it is also crucial to find solutions how society can partner on vocational training with the informal sector.