PTPs in skills development - implications for the privatisation of education debate

The so-called privatisation of primary and secondary education in developing countries is a hotly debated topic, fraught with definitional difficulties and a lack of comparable data. The discussion often overlooks experience... [ view full abstract ]

The so-called privatisation of primary and secondary education in developing countries is a hotly debated topic, fraught with definitional difficulties and a lack of comparable data. The discussion often overlooks experience from technical and vocational education and training (TVET), more broadly referred to as skills development, where private sector actors have played a major role in shaping in both the design and implementation of skills training provision, as well as post-training outcomes for students. This paper presents findings and reflections from the first year of the DFID-funded SEP-B programme in Bangladesh. Implemented by GRM International, Swisscontact and British Council, the flagship initiative stim­u­lates the pri­vate sec­tor to de­liver skills train­ing sus­tain­ably and at scale by sup­port­ing private training providers (PTPs) to provide training that matches industry demand and therefore increases the likelihood of an eventual job placement.

Based on this discussion, the author asks "so what?" for the wider debate regarding the role of the private sector in education, pin-pointing key questions for donors looking to fund initiatives that engage the private sector, fruitful areas of further research, and a set of guidelines for working with PTPs in the skills development arena.