ABSTRACT
An interest in employer engagement in education and training is not a purely scientific concern. It arises from an impulse for educational reform, which is based upon a coalition of interests – a partnership between politicians, educators and employers to build cooperation between education and business sectors. In the United States, for example, the Pathways to Prosperity Network brings together stakeholders at state level, with the goal of ensuring that more young people complete high school and achieve a post-secondary credential with labour market currency. In England, for example, the Education and Employers Taskforce operates at a national level. In both cases, research plays a significant role in the coalition – helping to raise questions about the status quo, to find solutions and to evaluate interventions.
