A university response to the Irish national strategy to sustain graduate employment

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue of the Journal of European Industrial Training. A brief commentary on each of the articles is provided and the whole issue is set in the context of national policy and research methodology from which the Programme for University Industry Interface derives its impetus. The paper highlights the potential and the problems of active engagement of government, industry and education in addressing issues of sustaining national economic competitiveness in a global economy. Design/methodology/approach The discussion in this paper is predominantly desk-based, using a combination of primary and secondary sources to generate an analysis of policy discourse and its realisation in practice. Findings In addition to commenting on the findings from each of the papers in the special issue, this paper draws positive attention to the partnership model used by the government of Ireland in policy formation. It also indicates that the partnership model in general, and the methodology for enhancing it in particular, are well-regarded in industry but that their full acceptance in higher education has not yet been fully tested. Originality/value The paper allows the reader of the special issue to set each of the other papers in a context and to interpret them against a national agenda for sustainability in graduate employment.