Examines poverty rates among families with children in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Compares the United States' rates to each of these countries to highlight the role of sickness insurance, child allowances, child support, income-tested social assistance, unemployment…

The structural problems present in vocational education in France and reform efforts under way to solve them were studied. Eighteen experts from government, science, and industry were interviewed, and statistics and other relevant publications were analyzed. The development of the French initial training system was outlined, and trends in…

This document consists of a consultation paper on extending opportunities and raising standards in the 14-19 phase of England's educational system and the Learning Skills Development Agency's (LSDA's) response to the consultation paper. The consultation argues that the existing 14-19 system fails large numbers of young people and values only a…

The increasing emphasis on entrepreneurship and self-employment training in vocational education and training (VET) worldwide was examined. Special attention was paid to the following themes: (1) the content and various concepts of entrepreneurship, including the distinction between external and internal entrepreneurship; (2) trends in…

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,…