Abstract
Trade unions are struggling to find an appropriate role in the changing world of work and skills requirements. In coordinated market economies (CMEs), where there is a strong tradition of social partnership, shared responsibilities for vocational education and workplace training (VET) have been taken by government, employers, unions and individuals. Yet even in Germany and the Nordic countries, which have a long history of social partnership, there is growing resistance by employers to meet the costs of VET, except where these coincide with their own priorities. In liberal market economies (LMEs), such as the UK and Canada, unions have generally failed to establish long-term partnerships with employers in relation to training, which is generally regarded as a managerial prerogative. Some governments in LMEs have recognized the need for greater investment in VET but have been reluctant to legislate to require employers to fund industry-wide programs of VET and skills development or to ensure that unions are given a legitimate role in these matters.