A compilation of three papers commissioned by the National Institute of Education, this study discusses the use of community education and work councils (CEWCs) as ways to improve school-to-work and work-to-school transitions for youth and adults. The first paper (1) elaborates the idea of councils comprised of business, industry, education, labor and other key community personnel and institutions, (2) discusses the evolving CEWC effort, (3) describes the operational criteria used to identify collaborative processes for inclusion in the DOL/NMI (Department of Commerce and Labor/National Manpower Institutes) Community Work-Education Consortium pilot program effort, and (4) hypothesizes the outcomes expected from Council-type collaborative processes, and specifies information requirements for testing the hypotheses. The second paper analyzes the implications of the developmental characteristics of youth for CEWC and the career education (CE) programs they might be expected to sponsor; questions selected career education assumptions about youth (e.g., high unemployment and inadequate work-socialization); and discusses the implications for CEWCs and CE programs affecting youth school-to-work transitions. The third paper identifies the crucial issues pertaining to establishment of CEWCs, establishes categories of past and current efforts in improving school-to-work transitions, presents outcomes and problems associated with each type of council, and discusses the major ideas and assumptions underlying the establishment of CEWCs. (VB)