Further education (FE) is no longer a peripheral part of the education system in Britain. The dramatic changes in the labour market and the resulting patterns of youth unemployment in the 1980s radically altered conceptions of FE and training. An increasing number of young people aged sixteen to nineteen were spending significant amounts of time in FE programs, work experience, and vocational preparation courses.

First published in 1983, Youth Training and the Search for Work explains how FE had come to occupy a central role in regulating youth labour markets, examines the extent to which FE had become a substitute for employment, and explores the consequences of FE practices on the lives and future employment prospects of young people, particularly in relation to class, race, and gender. The first section of the book examines the relationship between FE and the labour market from a variety of analytical perspectives. The second section explores these issues in greater depth through case studies, while the third section discusses the implications of unemployment and evaluates contemporary youth training initiatives and proposals.

The chapters in this volume offer both topical insights and theoretical analysis concerning the relationship between FE, training, and work. Their discussion of key issues surrounding youth, training, and employment will be of particular value to teachers and students of youth culture, sociology, economics, and education.