This critical issues paper presents information on the young people served by the New York City Adult Literacy Initiative. It profiles the youngest students, ages 16-24, who were served by the Initiative in the program year 1987-88. Since more than 95 percent of youth enrolled in literacy classes were enrolled in Basic Education and English for Speakers of Other Languages classes, the report and all the statistics focus on the youth enrolled in these two programs. Data are presented on gender, ethnicity, entry level, prior educational experience, employment, and educational attainment patterns. Three of the largest special youth programs are described: (1) the Young Adult Learning Academy, a school developed for low level readers who often go unserved by other programs; (2) Youth Internship Program, designed to help students between the ages of 17 and 21 earn a General Educational Development degree and obtain an entry-level job; and (3) City Volunteer Corps, a local variation of a national youth service initiative. Other staff development services sponsored by the Literacy Assistance Center are outlined. A series of programmatic and systemic recommendations indicated by the student profiles are set forth. (13 references) (YLB)