This paper discusses the concept of 'pathways' as an organising idea in Australian education and in the climate of a rapid decline in the number of full-time jobs available to 15 to 19 year-olds together with increasing education participation rates for the 15 to 24 year-olds. The two major objectives of the pathways concept are noted as connections between schooling and work for those who will not enter university or start apprenticeships, and helping young people navigate through an increasingly complex array of training and education options. The author profiles the pathways, analyses pathways policy and provides an overview of features and issues. Which young people take the pathways and how pathways are mapped to employment for those with tertiary education and those without is discussed in depth.