Debates about the possibility of institutional change in VET systems have been largely influenced by historical institutionalist perspectives (Busemeyer and Trampush, 2012), which suggest little possibility for policy transfer and learning across regimes due to institutional inertia and interlocking complementarities between the economy, labour market and state’s role in education (Busemeyer and Schlicht-Schmälzle, 2024). Several studies at national and sub-national level have challenged this determinist assumption by investigating cross-regimes variations in VET (Vossiek, 2018), as well as small-scale experiences of VET governance that deviate from country classifications (Valiente and Quepsada-Munsech, 2021). We investigate how the Scottish Government (SG) has adopted and implemented several policy reforms to overcome some of the coordination limitations of the liberal model of skill formation and expand participation levels in VET. Scottish VET policy in Scotland has purposely differentiatedn from the market-led model of skill formation established in England over the years. The Scottish Government approach to VET has been characterized by a greater coordinator role of the state in the provision of VET through its agencies (i.e. SFC, SDS, SQA) and the aspiration of making the contribution of VET to economic growth compatible with the aim of social justice. The Global Financial Crisis marked a period of intense VET policy reform that crystalised in a seven-year plan Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) (2014–2021). This aimed to expand school leaver’s participation in VET through greater collaboration between schools, colleges and employers in the provision of VET, particularly through work-based learning. As part of the VETPrep study, we systematize existing publicly available evidence on the implementation and impact of three SG policy initiatives from this period directed to increase the attractiveness of VET (DYW Regional Groups), support the transition to VET (Foundation Apprenticeships), and prevent dropouts in VET (Care Experienced FE Student Bursary). The review of evidence suggests a great deal of small scale of institutional changes that do not scale up due to the lack of public commitment and institutional coordination mechanisms in VET. Despite these structural barriers, the higher uptake of vocational qualifications in schools in the recent years suggests that possibilities for change are much larger than it was previously indicated by the literature.

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