This report surveys the vocational education system, work experience programs, and job training programs for youths in Chicago. The report is organized in five sections. It begins with a brief review of the socioeconomic context that affects youth employment in the city of Chicago. Section 2 examines vocational training in the Chicago public schools. Data on enrollment, curriculum, funding, and dropout rates are followed by a discussion of major policy issues on placement, sex equity, and curricular response to changes in the job market. The third and fourth sections look at supplemental job training programs outside the regular classroom settings. The role of nonprofit organizations is discussed, using information from 15 major organizations. The pivotal role of the federal Job Training Partnership Act programs is examined closely. The analysis includes a look at the representation of disadvantaged groups in these programs, the kinds of training offered, the level of funding, and placement-earnings outcomes. The concluding section offers preliminary assessment of the effectiveness of these work-related programs in fostering integration of disadvantaged youths into the labor market. Data for these analyses were collected from a variety of sources, such as program records, school records, state and city records, surveys, and personal contacts. Twenty-eight references are included. (KC)