Industry–TVET collaboration for adaptive skills in Industry 4.0: a systematic mapping study
Siti Sahara, Isma Widiaty, Mumu KomaroPurpose
This study examines how industry–TVET collaboration supports the development of adaptive skills for Industry 4.0 and addresses the fragmented, predominantly administrative character of existing partnerships.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic mapping study was conducted using PRISMA-based screening. The study synthesized 33 publications through thematic content analysis and bibliometric mapping to identify research trends, adaptive skill dimensions and collaboration mechanisms.
Findings
The review identifies six collaboration elements: industry-responsive curricula, joint educator training and certification, shared facilities and technologies, collaborative quality assurance and evaluation; joint research and innovation; and supportive policies and inclusive public–private partnerships. These elements form an integrated framework linking governance support, collaborative pedagogical design and quality assurance. Together, they explain how institutional arrangements translate into adaptive learning outcomes.
Research limitations/implications
This study draws on available literature and may not capture the rapidly changing context of industry–TVET collaboration. It does not conduct a formal methodological quality appraisal, so findings are presented as evidence mapping and conceptual synthesis rather than program effectiveness evaluation. As rules, infrastructure capacity and partnership practices change, these limits become more clear. Systematic mapping and thematic analysis identify patterns in collaboration elements and adaptive-skill domains, but the strength of conclusions depends on how fully prior studies report context. Limited contextual detail constrains explanation of mechanisms and moderating variations, so identified relationships should be treated as general patterns requiring contextual validation in future research.
Practical implications
These findings provide practical guidance for TVET institutions, industry partners and policymakers to strengthen collaboration for adaptive-skill development. TVET institutions should shift administrative partnerships into meaningful collaboration by aligning curricula with industry needs, implementing structured work-based learning supported by mentorship and applying comprehensive, standardized assessment. Industry partners should treat collaboration as a sustained investment in talent by providing mentors, access to professional networks and continuous learning opportunities for students. Policymakers should establish regulations that reinforce reciprocal obligations, incentivize joint infrastructure investment and develop a national qualifications framework that explicitly integrates adaptive skills.
Social implications
This technique can be implemented by creating indicators for each component of collaboration and monitoring adaptive skills outcomes across various contexts, sectors and locations. The framework offers a four-stage cycle to facilitate ongoing enhancement of policies and programs via collective duties, infrastructure investment and accountable quality assurance. Equity-centered design can enhance social impact by broadening mentoring, networking and professional advancement possibilities for all students, thus facilitating a more equitable distribution of Industry 4.0 benefits.
Originality/value
This study develops an integrative mechanism-outcome framework explaining how governance, collaborative pedagogical design, quality assurance and program strengthening iteratively interact to foster adaptive skills. The framework extends the perspectives of Public-Private Partnerships, the Triple Helix model and work-based learning by elucidating why partnerships with similar structures and resources can yield significantly different learning outcomes. The study's primary contribution is shifting the analytical focus from the mere existence and form of collaboration to the mechanisms that determine whether a partnership functions only at an administrative level or evolves into a transformative collaboration that shapes the cognitive, social and personal dimensions of adaptive skills.