Partnering for employability: how delivery partners, employers, and systems can work better together

Too often, employability and skills are viewed as separate agendas. In reality, they are part of the same journey. Employment support helps people take their first steps towards work, and retain work, while skills development enables them to progress, adapt, and thrive throughout their careers in a changing world. Individuals move continuously between learning, developing new skills, gaining experience and progressing in work. Effective systems recognise and support that lifelong journey which often start with employability support. That is particularly the case for those who have face multiple barriers to entering the work place, as well as those furthest from the labour market.

In light of the Young People and Work Interim Report, which highlights the scale of the problem that we face in order to effectively support those not in education, employment, and training (NEET), there has never been a more important time to ensure that sectors, delivery organisations, employers, and commissioners are aligned in their aspirations to improve opportunity for all.

Building strong relationships around individuals

At the heart of this journey are relationships. For many people, particularly those facing multiple and complex barriers, progress does not happen through a single intervention. It is built through trust, consistency, and sustained support over time. Whether barriers relate to health, confidence, caring responsibilities, financial pressures, or previous experiences of work and education, meaningful progress often depends on having someone who understands an individual's circumstances and remains alongside them as they navigate change and overcome barriers.

Our experience across employability programmes demonstrates the value of this approach. Strong relationships create the conditions for people to engage, build confidence, develop aspirations, and access opportunities that might otherwise feel out of reach. They provide the stability that allows individuals to overcome setbacks and continue moving forward.

In edt’s UK-based employability work, this often takes the form of sustained one-to-one support. For example, on programmes such as Connect to Work, Employment Support Specialists work closely with individuals over time to build confidence, identify realistic pathways, and stay engaged through setbacks.

Last year, 58% of jobseekers we supported through the National Careers Service made a positive transition into employment or training, substantially exceeding the national benchmark for comparable programmes.

Meanwhile, in West Yorkshire, edt-led partnerships supported 68% of participants to move into work, education, or training, as well as supporting further progress in participants’ confidence and readiness for employment. 

In other areas, partnerships are delivering similar progress at scale. In Cornwall, delivery is led by the local authority and brought together through multi-provider partnerships, with edt contributing specialist employability support alongside community organisations, employers, and public services. Last year, this approach supported over 200 participants into employment and nearly 600 into education and training, alongside wider improvements in skills and confidence.

However, relationships with individuals are only one part of the picture. Lasting outcomes depend on the wider partnerships that sit behind delivery. Providers, employers, commissioners, and local services each have a distinct role to play in helping people move towards sustainable employment and progression. When these partners work together around shared goals, support becomes more coherent, opportunities become more accessible, and outcomes improve.

As devolution continues, the relationships that drive meaningful outcomes for individuals are increasingly place-based, relying on an ecosystem of providers working together to create a coherent tapestry of support. This shift can and will present challenges for organisations; however, where evidence demonstrates improved outcomes, sustained economic growth, and a stronger pipeline into priority sectors, it is an approach that should be maintained and strengthened.

Designing programmes around outcomes

Employability should not be measured solely by job starts, just as skills provision should not be assessed only through qualifications achieved. It is the quality of the intervention that ultimately shifts outcomes for individuals. When that quality is embedded, both job starts and outcomes sit within a broader ambition: enabling people to participate fully in the economy, realise their potential, and contribute to local growth. Programmes such as Pathways to Progress in West Yorkshire show how coordinated support can improve outcomes, supporting individuals to move closer to employment and sustain progress over time.

For many individuals, employability support is the gateway to further learning and skills development.  Providing the confidence, experience, and support needed to secure and sustain employment. This means programmes should be designed around long-term outcomes rather than short-term transactions. Success should be measured not only by entry into work, but by progression, retention, increased skills, improved self-confidence and an individual's ability to continue developing over time.

The role of employers and local partnerships

Employers have a critical role in shaping this journey. Their involvement should begin long before recruitment takes place. By working closely with providers and commissioners, employers can help define skills needs, identify progression routes, and create clearer pathways into employment. Importantly, by holding employers at the centre, we can better understand what their barriers are to recruiting and retaining staff; too often, the complex systems that we work within require a significant amount of time and input that employers simply do not have to give.

At the same time, delivery partners bring the local relationships and understanding needed to engage individuals effectively, particularly those facing more significant barriers. Commissioners play an equally important role by creating the conditions for collaboration through funding models and performance frameworks that support partnership working and sustained outcomes.

When employers, providers, and commissioners align around shared objectives, individuals benefit from a more connected experience: one that links employability support, skills development, and employment opportunities in a way that reflects the realities of local labour markets.

Building systems around people

The most effective employability systems recognise that people rarely move in straight lines. Progress can take time, particularly for those who have experienced long periods out of work or who face multiple barriers simultaneously.

This is why consistency matters. Trust takes time to build. Confidence develops gradually. Skills and understanding of the workplace are acquired over years, not weeks. Sustainable employment outcomes are therefore most likely when systems allow practitioners the time and flexibility to build meaningful relationships with individuals while drawing on the collective strength of local partnerships.

As we mark Employability Day, the challenge for policymakers, commissioners, employers and providers is not simply to help more people into jobs. It is to create integrated systems that recognise employability and skills as inseparable within a wider ecosystem of place; we must continue to value long-term progression as much as immediate outcomes, and place relationships at the centre of delivery. When we get these foundations right, individuals are not only supported into work – they are supported to learn, progress, and succeed throughout their working life.