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Supporting skill development in SMEs 69

joint development of support services, such as guidance, and learning
opportunities for employees, given that enterprises do not normally work in
partnership with other public and private entities.
Such local and sectoral SMEs partnerships can contribute to the anticipation
and management of sectoral change and result in snowball effects, like
boosting business opportunities, supporting affected workers, and helping
them make the best of their competences. To anticipate and manage sectoral
change and restructuring efficiently, SMEs belonging to the same sector
can be brought together to share knowledge on sectoral developments and
challenges, from different perspectives of the industry’s supply chain. In
Member States where micro-enterprises prevail, partnership approaches could
play a part in expanding training provision, as in the examples below.

‘There has been a significant policy emphasis in Ireland on a network approach to training
involving small enterprises. Industry-led partnerships, known as Skillnetsconceive and deliver
training programmes across a broad range of sectors nationwide. In each Skillnet, three or
more enterprises cooperate to carry out a training project that individual companies would be
unable to undertake alone. Each network is designed to specific industry needs and delivers
training, upskilling and professional development programmes. (Cedefop, 2009b, p. 71). A
recent Cedefop analysis on the acquisition of key competences in the workplace concluded
that ‘the Skillnets model has been more successful than other approaches in engaging SMEs,
which have accounted for 95% of the total number of funded companies in 2008, with 63% of
the total number being micro enterprises. Since the networks are led by the enterprises, these
decide what training they need, as well as how, where and when it should be delivered. As a
result, the model is very flexible and can be adapted to stimulate the skills that are presently
required’ (Cedefop, 2010f).
In the Austrian composite skills training model (Qualifizierungsverbund) at least three
independent enterprises develop a tailored skills training scheme for their staff and coordinate
its implementation. The measures are conducted by external providers, with one enterprise
taking over the central project coordination. To implement these training models, the PES
provides intensive process support and financial assistance (Federal Ministry for Education,
the Arts and Culture (BMUKK), 2008).
Learning networks for competence development have been established with similar objectives,
in Flanders (Ministry for Education and Training, 2008). Similarly, regional skills partnerships in
the UK bring together government agencies, employers, and education and training providers to
develop coherent approaches to skill development in the regions (Niace, 2008). Combined with
enterprise-led partnerships, in a number of countries, different support initiatives have been
established to help enterprises identify their training needs, develop a working environment
that stimulates learning, and design and deliver learning opportunities.