Public-Private Partnerships

Public-private partnerships for skills development



This new ETF publication is the result of a comparative analysis of different public-private partnerships in the field of VET from a governance perspective. 



Part One provides a thematic overview, while Part Two discusses 23 case studies.

Short description:

Public–private partnerships (PPPs) that focus on skills development are one of the forms of collaboration that country VET system construct to ensure that young people and adults acquire relevant skills. This report provides an overview of these PPPs; it clarifies what they are and how they function, and examines the conditions necessary for their formation and sustainability, as well as the risks they entail and their potential for success. 



The publication is the result of the ETF’s study on PPPs for skills development carried out from the perspective of governance. Notably, the study explores actor cooperation and public and private investments, which are important factors to support lifelong and accessible learning for all, as the European Skills Agenda states. 



In the ETF study, PPPs for skills development are mechanisms for coordinating action and sharing responsibility between public and private stakeholders in VET for formulating, designing, financing, managing or sustaining engagements of common interest with a view to producing results at the level of outcomes (impact) in addition to outputs. Public stakeholders in PPPs may include public institutions or semi-public organisations, such as agencies and state enterprises, while private stakeholders may encompass individual businesses as well as associations and chambers of commerce. Furthermore, partnerships may unfold concerning any aspect of skills development within a particular economic sector, at the school/company level, as well as at the national or sub-national scale.