The causes of youth unemployment--especially among poor and minority youths--are enmeshed in a web of social, educational, and economic forces acting on the lives of families. Some of these forces are out of the sphere of federal influence, but labor market industries and the education system also have important effects on the experience of youth trying to find work. The next iteration of federal youth initiatives should build around four components of services: basic, remedial, work oriented education; job skills; labor market awareness; and work experience. Aside from the program elements that should be incorporated into a national youth policy for the 1980s, two important operational considerations need to be addressed: targeting of employment and training services, and the relation of youth to adult services. (Recommendations are made based on each of the four components of service and operational considerations.) (MEK)