Labour market research has rightly dedicated much attention to the analysis of the youth labour market, even in times when youth unemployment constituted a rather minor problem. The special importance of the youth labour market is not only justified by the enormous economic costs of high youth unemployment but also by the high individual burden that is imposed on unemployed youths. Besides an empirical overview over the current situation in Western Germany, the research focuses on three aspects of the youth labour market: the duration of youth unemployment, the determinants of the offer of apprenticeship places by firms and the transition from in-firm training to the first job. The offer of apprenticeship places by firms is one of the most important determinants of the extent of youth unemployment. The individual educational level, the economic situation as well as the social background are decisive determinants of the status of youths on the labour market. For the willingness of firms to train youths different determinants for the probability to train and for the training intensity, measured by the number of trainees per employees, have been found. The probability to train is higher for innovative than for non-innovative firms. The training intensity does not differ greatly with this respect. The apprentice’s pay is a decisive factor for both dimensions of the commitment of firms to train.