PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP IN EDUCATION AS A PREREQUISITE FOR THE GROWTH OF REGIONAL LABOR MARKETS: ANALYSIS OF FOREIGN EXPERIENCE

Abstract

Abstract. The aim of the article is to study the best foreign practices and models of public-private partnership in the field of vocational and higher education, identify opportunities for their adaptation to Ukrainian realities and develop recommendations for productive use of foreign experience in this area. The theoretical significance of the article is that it is analyzed the semantic content of the basic concepts related to public-private partnership in the foreign scientific space; it is identified the prerequisites for the development of public-private partnership in vocational education abroad (at the national, institutional (vocational education institution), production (enterprise) levels; it is analyzed the challenges to vocational education and training in foreign countries which the public-private partnership is aimed to solve; criteria for typification of partnerships (number of participants, areas of partnership, integrated criterion «project financing — provision of educational services», integrated criterion «breadth of partnership and depth of interaction between partners», integrated criterion «degree of coordination of interaction — volume of investment») are identified; the author’s typology of partnerships in the field of education in foreign countries is substantiated.The practical significance of the article is that the authors developed recommendations for deepening public-private partnership in vocational and higher education institutions of Ukraine based on the study of foreign experience, suggested directions for its further development in Ukraine. It is determined that in the foreign conceptual and terminological field, in addition to the concept of «public-private partnership» uses a number of concepts (Private Finance Initiative, PFI) (UK), Service Provision Project (SPP) (Mexico), Alternative Financing and Procurement (Canada), Private Sector Participation (PSP) (World Bank). The common essential features of these concepts are singled out: cooperation of different stakeholders, complexity of the purpose, focus on the result, parity of responsibility, long-term nature of interaction, formality of relations. Criteria for distinguishing types of partnerships in foreign practice are proposed: number of participants, areas of partnership, integrated criterion «project financing — provision of educational services», integrated criterion «breadth of partnership and depth of interaction between partners», integrated criterion «degree of coordination of interaction — volume of investment». The peculiarities of the types of partnerships in vocational education, which were singled out on the basis of the criteria proposed by the authors, are characterized: bilateral and multilateral; infrastructure, private management of public institutions, outsourcing of educational services, outsourcing of non-educational services, innovation and research partnerships, vouchers and subsidies; private initiatives, sponsorship, mixed projects, government programs; broad partnership, in-depth partnership; liberal, solidarity, paternalistic, consortium types of partnerships. Based on the analysis of the best practices of public-private partnership, the probable effective directions of public-private partnership in the field of vocational and higher education in Ukraine were singled out: strengthening the participation of companies in the processes of professional training; outlining a clear and concise division of responsibilities in the partnership; development of national standards of vocational education; gradual introduction of elements of dual education; promoting the prestige of vocational education as an attractive alternative to academic education; facilitating the learning trajectory between vocational and higher education; forecasting skills. It was developed recommendations for the development of public-private partnership in the field of vocational and higher education in Ukraine in the context of: formalization of interaction (conclusion of agreements and memorandums of partnership), management of interaction (establishment of qualitative and quantitative indicators for monitoring the activities of private providers and vocational education institutions; periodic reviews of vocational education institutions to bring them in line with the standards set in the contract), development of partnership effectiveness (clear criteria for quality and effectiveness), technologicalization of interaction (in particular, use of algorithm of of interaction between vocational education institutions and partners for public-private interaction initiatives). The need to study such models of partnerships in the field of education as the Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Germany, the Sectoral Council for Industrial Training (Canada), centers of excellence in vocational education (Netherlands), industrial centers or clusters (Tuscany in Italy and Baden-Württemberg in Germany), the National Skill Development Corporation (India) was actualized. Keywords: public-private partnership, vocational education, education, foreign experience, best practices, efficiency, effectiveness. JEL Classification I21, L33 Formulas: 0; fig.: 0; tabl.: 0; bibl.: 18.