The employability enhancing factors on the left side of Figure 2 are those associated with personal characteristics, i.e., education, training and retraining, counselling, prior learning, and skills. The availability of services, such as child care and supportive equipment for people with disabilities, and the provision of income support also have a bearing on employability. These complement the personal factors and must be part of a successful transition system.

The right side of Figure 2 shows a set of labour market characteristics that influence an individual's employability. These are the constituents of employers' personnel management practices. Labour market information is included here to emphasize the fact that employers are the primary source of such information. Employers seldom establish their practices independently: as workers' representatives, unions participate in setting some practices through collective bargaining, and governments stipulate some parameters through legislation. All stakeholders should be concerned that management practices be established coherently to enhance employability.

Although the graphic representation simplifies the situation for the sake of clarity, all the elements are interacting continuously. For example, for all the elements on the left side of the figure to have a positive impact on employability, appropriate labour market information -- mainly originating with employers -- is critical. Although standards should be part of the framework as a link between the two sides, placing them among the labour market characteristics emphasizes the crucial role of the labour market partners in their establishment. Standards give relevance and recognition to training and should play a major role in the definition of employers' management practices.

Most of the recommendations of this Task Force pertain to the elements shown in Figure 2. and the coherent "Canadian model" of transition into employment proposed by the Task Force (chapter 4) reflects their necessary coordination.