The thesis describes a study of the transfer from school to non-school of pupils from five schools in different areas of England. The study has focused on fifth year pupils in schools located in Leicester, Stevenage, Windsor, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Middlesbrough. Through a combination of both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods it has concentrated on many aspects of school leaving processes and careers education programmes. Within the context of the different local labour markets the study has given particular attention to the kinds of careers education provided by the schools and by the local authority careers services. The study is comparative in its approach, examining the influence of the local labour market on the organisation and content of careers education, the way in which it was received by the school leavers and its influence upon their aspirations and expectations in terms of employment and further education. The study has shown that in areas of high unemployment such as Middlesbrough and Newcastle, careers education may form part of the wider social education of the pupil. Furthermore, due to the lack of employment opportunities for young people in such areas, it may lose much of the instrumentalism which was apparent in the more prosperous areas of Stevenage, Leicester and in particular, Windsor. Differences between the schools in terms of fifth year perceptions of YTS, reasons for entering further education, the role of qualifications and the importance of occupational choice are also highlighted. The thesis concludes by giving consideration to the likely role of careers education in the context of the National Curriculum and to changing labour market demands for school leavers, in the light of demographic fluctuations.