This paper will set out to examine the specific role of business in the development and implementation of education and training policies (including vocational education and training and specifically workplace training).
Investment in education, training and skills development is the starting point for national economic and social development and if done correctly and in a far sighted way can yield tremendous results in terms of national economic growth and increased levels of prosperity. A skilled workforce is a key facet that enables countries to access the benefits of globalization, it is one the central things that multinational enterprises look for in making an investment decision.
The basic premise for this paper is that enterprises and employers' organisations have a central role in the identification (and subsequent design and implementation) of the appropriate education, training and general skills requirements that economies require and importantly, will require. The paper will be divided into five parts:

Setting the context
• The changing world – increasingly integrated global economy, increased importance of national competitiveness
• Changing workplace – new forms of employment; greater flexibility; new approaches to the workplace
• Migration – brain drain emigration ; shrinking fertility rates in many developed countries;
• Regional responses to policy issues i.e. regional portability of education qualifications

Labour Market Information
Education and training systems should be accessible, relevant and flexible to a changing labour market's needs.
• Rectifying any mismatches between output from education and training systems and labour market demands can be assisted with accurate labour market information, therefore reliable disaggregated statistics are essential. There needs to be a focus in policy responses on data collection capabilities and also in raising awareness of the importance of this exercise in a regular and consistent manner.

Provide governments with feedback on whether training or other schemes are working or not. Are the incentives right? Do the programmes show a benefit in the long term? Are the young people actually employable?
Identifying the growth sectors of the economy. Vocational training and school-to-work programs should be tailored in accordance with these findings, to ensure that young people are being trained for the right occupations.
Right regulatory environment
Avoiding supply side solutions only

Education
Modern education systems need to reflect the needs of today's changing work place
• Developing modern curricula
• Changing attitudes - in some countries there is a need for increased awareness of the benefits of working in the private sector; encouraging entrepreneurship
• Dual education and training system (where young people spend half the week working and the other half at school)
• Formal business –education links programmes
• School to work transition - the lack of working experience is perhaps the most common universal obstacle for first-time job seekers.
• Mechanisms that allow young people, who have missed out on education, to be able to return and continue it.

Training & work place learning
Training programmes need to be based of a careful analysis of the likely opportunities in the short, medium and long term.
• The business case for people development – basic HRM
• Improve national and decentralized delivery systems for education and training.
• Apprenticeships and dual learning; role of private sector in training;
• Incentives for companies to take on new employees/trainees, (utilising tax credits for example).
• Advocating a standardised national framework of qualifications can help break down divisions between university qualifications and those secured thorough vocational and school education
• Improve the employment position of marginalised groups. Is current legislation hindering employment opportunities? Is it specifically presenting obstacles? These questions need to be effectively addressed.
• Recognising skills (i.e. apprenticeships) in the informal economy;
• Social dialogue
• MNE & SME linkages in training and development
• Evaluation of programmes