Contents
v
Part II Transitions 67
3 Learning for work and life 68
Educational preparation of youth for work and life is low 68
A solid foundation: Improving the readiness for postprimary education 71
Enhancing postprimary education opportunities 72
Better education choices by young people 81
Offering second chances 89
Spotlight: Vietnamese youth: Managing prosperity 94
4 Going to work 96
Youth challenges in the labor market 96
What makes youth vulnerable in the labor market? 103
Broadening labor market opportunities 106
Choosing to work and developing the skills to do so 111
Providing a springboard to reintegrate the most vulnerable 114
Spotlight: Do baby booms lead to employment busts?
Not in OECD countries 120
5 Growing up healthy 122
Promoting the health of young people stimulates growth and
reduces poverty and health care expenditures 123
Public intervention is needed to promote youth health 124
Strengthening young people’s capability to practice healthy behavior 129
Enhancing opportunities to make healthy choices 135
What if prevention fails? Helping young people deal with the adverse
consequences of poor health behavior or misfortune 137
Spotlight: Addressing disparities among Brazil’s youth 142
6 Forming families 144
Preparing for family formation is good for growth and poverty reduction 144
Preparation for family formation is poor 147
Providing opportunities for youth to prepare for parenthood 151
Strengthening young people’s decision-making capabilities to
prepare for parenthood 153
Supporting those who become mothers at an early age 156
7 Exercising citizenship 160
Youth participation: Rising, declining, or both? 161
What youth citizenship means for adult citizenship and development 164
vi CONTENTS
Opportunities for political participation and active citizenship 167
Acquiring an identity and a sense of belonging 172
Young people need legally recognized second chances 178
Spotlight: Rebuilding lives and institutions in Sierra Leone 185
Part III Across transitions and next steps 187
8 Moving and communicating across borders 188
Youth and international migration 188
Youth and the global fl ow of information and ideas 201
Spotlight: What donors can do 209
9 Youth policy: Doing it and getting it right 211
Youth policy priorities vary by country context 212
Youth policy often fails young people 214
Getting it right—by developing a coherent framework and
integrating it with national policy 215
Getting it right—by listening to young people 219
Getting it right—through monitoring and evaluation 221
Spotlight: It’s up to you(th)—taking action for development 225
Bibliographical note 227
Endnotes 229
References 243
Selected indicators 271
Technical notes 283
Selected world development indicators 285
Data sources and methodology 285
Classifi cation of economies and summary measures 285
Terminology and country coverage 286
Technical notes 286
Index 305