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experience of involvement with VET providers or what relationships they
have with other stakeholders such as government institutions.

▪ Create a team with representatives of companies with different functions
– each employer engaged in VET must have some people involved in this

relationship, such as representatives of human resources, workers, and
staff with managerial positions. This contributes to having a broader view
of the needs of the company, as well as preventing a single person from

being overloaded with work. Furthermore, if someone leaves this VET
work team at the company, someone else in this team can easily replace
them, contributing to a better sustainability of the project.

▪ Understand the business world – it is essential to understand the focus of
the employers, that is often more on producing goods or offering services
that generate profit, rather than providing employment opportunities or

contributing to the development of employees. Knowing the priorities of
each side of the engagement will make it easier to calculate common
goals that contribute to the success of both parties in the relationship.

▪ Add value – VET providers need to bring added value to the employers
they engage with, such as the opportunity to contribute to a curriculum

tailored to the needs of companies in terms of workers’ knowledge and
skills. In addition, VET providers must present a holistic vision of labour
market trends in the areas in which companies operate and also relate
them to the remaining business sector that surrounds them.

▪ Nurture the relationship – just like any other relationship, it is necessary
to continually nurture the relationship between VET providers and

employers. Therefore, for example, in addition to the initial step of
contributing to the curriculum, it is important to be aware of the learners’
progress at the workplace and if they demonstrate any competences’

gaps, so possible improvements to the curricula can be made. Thus, the
curricula are continuously adapted to the real needs of employers.

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