Introduction: School-to-Work Policies in Industrialized Countries as Responses to Push and Pull

Two main forces propel policies that aim to improve the transition from school to stable employment. First is a high level of joblessness, which pushes policy makers to find solutions as quickly as possible. Because unemployment rates in most countries stay persistently higher for young people than for adults, youth unemployment in particular remains a chronic concern for public policy. This concern intensifies when demographic waves or economic recessions drive unemployment upward.