The school-to-work transition experienced by young people employed in the manufacturing industry was examined. Personal interviews were conducted with 58 young people, their supervisors and/or employers, and staff of the schools they attended. A consensus of views was found between employers and schools on the relative importance of aims of secondary schooling. Certain skills and attributes were frequently desired by employers and were seen by the young people as important to them in their jobs. Students expected various things of career education and had various degrees of satisfaction with their programs. All three groups recognized that the young people lacked an adequate knowledge about the working environment before they left school. Although most schools offered work experience, only 50 percent of the young people had participated. Employers expected entry workers to have positive attitudes, the ability to adapt and train, initiative, and maturity. Most young people had problems finding jobs to apply for. Employers' selection criteria included attitudes, interests, and general personal attributes. Few manufacturing enterprises had positions available for unskilled young people. (A section with statistical findings groups together results from similar items from the three questionnaires. Appendixes include the questionnaires, case studies, and a glossary.) (YLB)