Description: In modern societies a certificate on upper secondary level is a prerequisite to successfully entering the labour market. Research shows that young people with low academic profiles have increased difficulties gaining access to the labour market. Their risk of facing unemployment, poverty and poor well-being is increased (Häfeli, 2005; Lischer, 2002, 2005; Meins & Morlok, 2004). The OECD, in their study "from initial education to working life (2000), defines criteria for successful transitions and asks educational policies to provide the majority of young adults with employment opportunities after their education and training and to fight against discrimination regarding gender, socio-economic background and region.In Switzerland, educational policy has been striving to create education and training programmes for all young people. Vocational training in the form of full apprenticeships ("Lehre"), which last 3 or 4 years and lead to a Swiss Federal Proficiency Certificate, is still the most important form of upper secondary education. For youths, whose academic achievements do not allow for completion of a full apprenticeship ("mainly practically gifted" school-leavers), the biennial elementary vocational training ("Anlehre") was introduced. In terms of training contents and objectives, elementary vocational training does not follow a standardised curriculum, but is individually arranged between employer and trainee ("Anlehrling"). Lately, this has been questioned and a standardised form of elementary vocational training leading to a Swiss Federal Vocational Certificate is about to be established.So far, little research analyses employment prospects, work values and well-being of trainees in comparison with those of youths who complete full apprenticeships.In our presentation, we will focus on a comparison between trainees who are about to finish elementary vocational training and youths at the end of their full apprenticeship. Two main questions will be addressed: How do employment prospects of elementary trainees and apprentices differ, i.e.: Do elementary trainees have poorer prospects than apprentices? How is the qualification level associated with the well-being of young people and with their values and objectives as regards work and other areas of life, such as family and leisure time? Methodology: Data are drawn from the first panel of the longitudinal study on elementary vocational training with Swiss Federal Vocational Certificate (Kammermann, 2005) and the second, third and fourth panel of the Swiss national youth survey TREE (TRansition from Education to Employment, 2002-2004). The sample consists of 200 apprentices/trainees in the retail sales and hotel sector at the end of elementary vocational training or apprenticeship. Employment prospects were assessed by asking the trainees/apprentices whether they had found an employment upon completion of training. Well-being was measured by standard scales of self-esteem and depression (Rosenberg, 1979) and positive attitude of life (Grob, 1991). Values and objectives were assessed by means of a scale developed by Watermann (2000). University of Applied Sciences in Special Needs Education, Zürich, in cooperation with the Service of Research in Education, Geneva Conclusions: In our presentation we will give an overview on employment and further education prospects of elementary trainees and apprentices. Further we will show how personal objectives, well-being and values in respect to employment, family and leisure time are affected by the educational and employment status. Based on the results we will discuss the importance to establish the new standardised form of elementary vocational training with national certificate in order to increase the labour market prospect and life chances of all young people.