The British Council has facilitated and supported more than 65 Skills for Employability international partnership projects, have reached over 15 million through 200 Enterprise Challenges and have been involved in over 40 Policy Dialogues in the last 18 months in Asia, Europe and Africa.

We hope this collection of success stories from 2011-2012 from across the world will inspire you.

Asia

			Sustainability through adversity – indefatigable international partnership continues to deliver on employability (PDF) City of Sunderland College, UK and Government College of Technology Rawalakot (GCTR), Azad Kashmir became British Council international partners in November 2010. Their aim was to increase the employment opportunities for GCTR students by developing employer-focussed, high quality technical qualifications in IT and Construction – key industries in the region.
			UK Skills 'Olympians' travel China (PDF) In China, Skills for Employability programme has already facilitated two memorandums of understanding between the UK’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and two Chinese ministries; orchestrated partnerships between 20 colleges in the UK and China; and enhanced public perception of vocational education by organising roadshows.
			International partnerships: South Korea (PDF) This partnership was supported by the Prime Minister’s Initiative and involved UK colleges twinning with South Korean Junior colleges, with Westminster Kingsway College as the lead UK College.
			Modernising the IT curriculum (PDF) City of Sunderland College and Government Polytechnic Institute Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir develop cutting edge IT qualifications with international appeal.
			Enhancing the curriculum for film and animation (PDF) Bradford College, West Yorkshire and Whistling Woods International, Mumbai share specialist knowledge and experience to enhance students’ employability.
			‘There has been much achieved and there is more to do’ (PDF) - Central and South Asia faces two major challenges to developing the skilled and motivated workforce needed to become competitive in the global marketplace. In contrast to much of the rest of the world, which is experiencing an ageing workforce, in this area more than 60% of the population is under thirty years of age. This means that employers in this region are increasingly reliant on the region’s young people to fill the growing skills gaps in the workplace.
			New Era in Technical Education in Pakistan Skills for Employability programme aims to bridge that gap between education and employment by developing curricula in partnership with employers and learning providers.

Europe

			Modern skills for the modern workplace – Mechatronics course leads the way in curriculum reform in Armenia (PDF) Armenia is a rapidly developing nation looking to modernise across all areas of industry in order to thrive in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. To become viable, Armenia’s businesses are upgrading production equipment and streamlining processes, and this has revealed a widening skills gap among young recruits who are inadequately prepared for the contemporary workplace.
			Education reform in Bulgaria - putting employers at the heart of skills development (PDF) The British Council in Bulgaria is working in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Science and UK experts to ensure that on-going educational reform meets the needs of employers and young learners, and equals the quality standards of European Union counterparts.
			‘Success does not come from a workshop and a miracle!’ Embedding educational reform in Montenegro (PDF) Find out how the British Council played a major part in creating and implementing a new model that is raising quality standards within schools and colleges, and boosting the employability of Montenegro’s future workforce.
			British Council Enterprise Challenges help young Uzbeks to lead the way in a workplace revolution (PDF) Uzbekistan is currently undergoing major fundamental changes in the way it does business.  It is moving away from an economy dependant on large traditional state run organisations to one based on small and medium private enterprises powered by entrepreneurship and innovation.
			South West College, Northern Ireland wins first British Council Further Education International Collaboration Award (PDF) The British Council works in partnership with skills organisation across the UK on a range of major international projects. Our teams are constantly impressed by the creativity and high quality of these projects, and the willingness of those involved to go that extra mile to ensure that the projects are a success for everyone taking part, often working in their spare time and juggling these programmes with everyday responsibilities.  The British Council Further Education International Collaboration Award has been developed to ‘recognise the important contribution that international projects make to individuals, institutions and their communities in a globalised world.
			Linking education to industry, consumer demands and wider social and cultural issues (PDF) London College of Fashion, Yakkasaroy Light Industry College and Uchtepa National Crafts College, Uzbekistan embed employers’ needs in Uzbekh national curriculum.
			Unprecedented Youth Career Fair in Armenia As part of the Skills for Employability Programme, British Council Armenia supported the “Build Your Future Today” youth career fair.
			Developing enterprise in the curriculum (PDF) Derby College, Derbyshire and Ekononska Skola Bejelinja, Bosnia build the skills and confidence needed for students to start their own business ventures.
			Applying new models of teaching (PDF) Motherwell College, North Lanarkshire and the Professional Lyceum #4, Kazakhstan work together to provide the skills that employers require.

Middle East and Africa

			Improving employer engagement in technical education in the UAE (PDF) Pembrokeshire College and Coleg Gwent in Wales and the Sharjah Institute of Technology, United Arab Emirates forge strong links with employers.
			Developing a quality assurance process (PDF) Dudley College, West Midlands and Hoban Technical Industrial Institute, Yemen develop quality assurance system for refrigeration and cooling system learning programmes.
			Training to meet the needs of industry (PDF) Doncaster College, South Yorkshire and Ecole Supérieure des Industries du Textile et de l’Habillement, Morocco work together to equip learners with the skills to become employed or self-employed.
			Adding value to employer training (PDF) Craven College, North Yorkshire and the Egyptian Banking Institute, Cairo prepare summer programme to help graduates enter banking sector.
			A Successful Partnership PSG Consortium is the result of a successful long term partnership between Institute of Technology from Sharjah-UAE and two colleges from Wales.
			British Council answers government call to help boost youth employability in Yemen (PDF) The Ministry of Education is undertaking national educational reform in order to increase confidence in the system by improving its relevance and quality, increasing links to employment and boosting enterprise and entrepreneurship among young people so that they can stimulate industry and enhance their career prospects.
			‘Providing an opportunity for young ambitious, brave people who have a vision, a dream for the future’ (doc) In Egypt, the British Council Skills for Employability team is working with Shell Egypt, the multinational oil company, to provide young people across the country with knowledge and skills they need to turn their dreams of running their own business into a successful reality, and in doing so help improve life in their local communities.
			Libya skills challenges - building the skills and confidence to change lives and build a brighter future (PDF) The British Council team in Libya ran eight focus groups nationwide - bringing together young people, technical and vocational teachers, education ministers to discuss soft skills, identify issues and barriers to their promotion and development, and discuss ways in which to overcome them.