Contents Preface and acknowledgements 1. Introduction 2. Collective skill formation in liberal market economies? The role of political parties, industrial relations and path dependence 3. United Kingdom – much ado about nothing and the persistence of voluntarism? 4. Ireland – apprenticeships and social partnership as a sustainable model? 5. Australia – joint economic restructuring and a slow shift to marketization 6. Conclusion References Appendix A: List of interviews by code and date Appendix B: List of abbreviations