These proceedings of a conference on 1978 youth knowledge development activities implemented under the Youth Employment and Demonstration Projects Act (YEDPA) of 1977 consist of the proceedings of the five sessions of the conference and the texts of 16 conference papers. Discussed in the first section of the proceedings are demonstrations and research conducted under the auspices of the Youth Incentive Entitlement Pilot Projects (YIEPP), the Youth Community Conservation and Improvement Projects (YCCIP), and the Youth Employment and Training Programs (YETP); basic research; and data collection and evaluation. Topics covered in the conference reports include the effectiveness of various research and job training programs, YEDPA research and interagency cooperation and discord, an economic analysis of the patterns and trends in youth unemployment, the potential impact of employment and job training programs on youth unemployment, the social and economic significance of teenage unemployment, youth experiences as pathways into the world of work, and the economic impact of the Job Corps. (Related youth knowledge and development reports are available separately through ERIC--see note.) (MN)