• Promising, as newer practices which have not been evaluated or assessed or standing practices which have been only assessed informally or qualitatively; yet, their approach is deemed to have the potential to achieve their objectives successfully.

Most initiatives had some features from all three categories however, an attempt was made to separate out the most prominent features for classification purposes. Category assignments were based on the opinions of the WLKC Transition and Access Working Groups, more indepth information acquired from the follow-up inquiries and from the literature review. Of the 44, five are policies, 24 are programs and 15 are practices. 17 of the initiatives were deemed to be innovative, 7 were categorized as effective and 20 were considered promising.

Many of the entries listed in the inventory have several of the 12 key features for successful school-to-work initiatives listed above. In the review of the inventory, CCDF found that several initiatives had additional measures for success which are as follows:

1. 1. Transferability – locally, provincially, nationally and internationally (e.g. The Real Game);
2. 2. Policies that had associated programs to support success (e.g. Learning to 18);
3. 3. Evaluated outcomes that were significant and spoke directly to the initiatives’ success (e.g. Conestoga Human Resources Post-Grad program)
4. 4. Sustainability or longevity (e.g. Windsor Park Collegiate, Youth Apprenticeship Program, New Brunswick and Career Edge);
5. 5. Increased career outcomes for students, i.e. high starting salaries; a job directly in a chosen field, increased completion rates (e.g. Waterloo Co-op Program)
6. 6. Skill development -- transferable, employability, essential skills (e.g. Education/Sector Council Partnership Project, WorkGo, Youth Employment for Newcomers)
7. 7. Built-in hope for the future (e.g. Guiding Circles and Career Trek)

The entries listed in the inventory speak to the need for a diverse approach to school-to-work transition programming. While no singular plan will cover all the needs, multiple strategies and ad hoc approaches have become a barrier to improving school-to-work transitions in Canada. A strategic multi-pronged framework is needed in which a number of issues should be acted upon:

• Governments at all levels need to have greater commitment and leadership to improve school-to-work transitions;
• The decentralized approach in Canada is not resulting in more equitable access for youth. A strategic framework and co-operation from all levels of government is needed in order to respond to local need but to also meet broader goals at a national level for improving school-to-work transitions;
• For Vocational Education and Training (VET) to become a viable option, governments need to be more actively involved;
• Articulation and partnerships are needed between high school and PSE institutions so that there is mobility and bridges to support career changes and career advancement for youth;
• Educators need to understand the world of work and how it relates to youth transitions to the labour market;
• Work experience is vital to school-to-work transitioning and needs to be made available at the high school level;