A guidebook for policy planners and practitioners Both apprenticeships and traineeships can - and do - play a critical role in helping young people make a smoother transition from school to work (STW). A long-standing and robust body of evidence has consistently shown that countries with rigorous apprenticeship schemes, such as Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Switzerland, are the most successful in terms of facilitating STW transitions. Likewise, some forms of traineeships, notably those associated with educational programmes and well-structured active labour market policies (ALMPs), have proved to be highly effective in facilitating STW transitions.

This Guidebook’s primary aim is to provide an overview of the main apprenticeship and traineeship programmes (‘what exists’) which have been in operation in each EU Member State in the period 2007-2012, with a particular focus on their employment outcomes and overall effectiveness.