Why are we doing Skills@Work?

Skills@Work was a twenty-country project that promoted internationalism within the vocational education and training sector across South East Europe (SEE) and the United Kingdom. At the heart of the project was the sharing of good practice and experience through a college partnership scheme to allow countries in SEE to develop industry-led occupational standards and curricula. The benefits of the project were

• skills development to support economic growth and a globally competitive Europe
• networks and long-term relationships to support the response of governments in SEE to the challenges of employability
• present the UK as a supportive partner in areas of enterprise, innovation and employment in SEE
• support the British Council’s vision for Europe – “Working together to build next generation Europe”

What did we achieve with Skills@Work?

• Address long-term systemic challenges by aligning education and training provision with the needs of industry by engaging employers in the future of skills development
• A higher and more positive profile for the skills agenda
• Equip young people with relevant, transferable skills for employment in a global market
• Contribute to a culture of enterprise and innovation
• Support and develop European objectives for system reform

How dil we achieve this?

• Skills@Work used roadshows, college partnerships and skills competitions to engage policy-makers, employers and leaders of industry, college managers, young entrepreneurs and technicians:
• Regional policy dialogue workshops in 2007 and 2008 focussed on: national qualifications and credit frameworks, occupational standards and curricula development & quality assurance
• Partnerships between UK and SEE colleages enabled working towards development in curriculum, quality assurance and the transfer of best practice and mobility exchanges. 12 long-term institutional partnerships were set up in the region.
• Enterprise and Technology Award competitions encouraged young people to use their skills in enterprising and innovative ways, ultimately increasing their employability and entrepreneurial flair.

Watch the Skills@work video to learn more about the importance of bridging a gap between the needs of labour markets and the skills gained through vocational education systems. Experts from Europe and Asia stress the importance of engagement in this area and share their views on how it can be done.

To find out about its development in Austria, please contact Martin Gilbert, Network Manager.