This report presents a framework -Skills Toward Employment and Productivity (STEP), thatprovides a simple yet comprehensive way to look at skillsdevelopment. It brings together research evidence andpractical experience from a range of areas-from research onthe determinants of early childhood development and learningoutcomes, to policy experience with the reform of vocationaland technical education systems and labor markets-andprovides a set of powerful messages to policymakers,researchers, and practitioners. The report's emphasison performance measurement and benchmarking, policy andprogram evaluation, and cross-sectoral approaches focusingon individuals throughout their lifecycle provides a solidplatform for developing countries to start exploring reforms.