As a result of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, new local institutions--youth councils--will assume responsibility for coordinating school-to-work with other youth programming and other labor force development planning and policies. They will also have responsibility for allocating resources for each labor market region. The National Youth Employment Coalition has recommended that individuals interested in influencing local WIA youth program implementation take the following steps: (1) encourage local elected officials to appoint individuals well-versed in youth employment/youth development to the local workforce investment board; (2) encourage a full range of key stakeholders to participate on the youth council, including K-12 and postsecondary education entities; (3) build broad-based local coalitions from the bottom up; and (4) encourage development of youth councils that embrace a mission that includes youth employment/youth development system building rather than just the dispensing of WIA formula funds. The Philadelphia and San Diego youth councils and the Middle Rio Grande Business and Education Collaborative, which serves as the local workforce investment board and youth council of a four-county region in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico, illustrate the potential of youth councils to foster more coherent local youth policy and planning efforts. (MN)