Strengthening VET-business Partnerships

Strengthening VET-business Partnerships

In September 2026, CEDEFOP published the paper “Policy Approaches to Strengthening VET-business partnerships”. Drawing on evidence from across the EU-27, Iceland and Norway, this Cedefop Insight shows how countries are developing cooperation with business beyond providing work placements towards strategic partnerships that drive skills innovation, lifelong learning and regional development. It highlights emerging partnership models, inspiring national examples and policy pointers for making VET more responsive to the needs of learners, employers and society.

Facts and findings

• Countries are engaging employers through both formal governance and consultation mechanisms and informal partnerships and awareness-raising initiatives.
• VET-business cooperation increasingly covers skills foresight, VET governance and excellence, teacher training and entrepreneurship education, in addition to work-based learning and apprenticeship.
• France’s Campus of Excellence Industry of the Future South connects VET, business and public authorities in a regional skills ecosystem and reaches out to thousands of learners each year.
• Spain’s ‘Digitalízate’ initiative expands access to digital skills through free industry-backed training with 58% of certification completers being women.
• Multi-stakeholder partnerships strengthen employability, business productivity, innovation capacity and regional competitiveness. 

Key messages

• The most effective VET-business partnerships combine shared governance, clear responsibilities and a commitment to lifelong learning.
• A challenge remains to move beyond ad hoc interactions towards long-term, institutionalised and strategic partnerships that support active employer engagement in VET governance but also in VET design, investment and implementation.
• Strong partnerships help VET keep pace with digital, green and economic transformations.
• Centres of Vocational Excellence, sectoral skills councils and regional consortia are emerging as successful partnership models.
• SMEs need brokers: economic chambers and sector bodies play a crucial role in bridging the gap.
• Partnerships create value for all: learners gain employability, businesses access skills, and VET providers strengthen quality and relevance.

Policy pointers

• Partnerships over projects – build strategic and mutually beneficial partnerships for skills development.
• Employers in the driver seat – structure stakeholder dialogue and support SMEs.
• Raising the bar – strengthen quality assurance, transparency, and innovation in partnerships.
• Working together for better skills – extend partnership models to lifelong learning and workforce development.

CEDEFOP publication “Policy approaches to strengthening VET-business partnerships” available here.