What constitutes key skills for managers in the complex garment industry? How can stakeholders from education and industry promote the skill development of managers in the garment sector? Using, Vietnam as the pioneer in the garment industry, this study aims to identify the relationships, barriers, and actions that vocational education and training (VET) institutions and industry partners face in providing core skills to graduates for entry into the garment sector. The study reports on 54 semi-structured interviews with key informants in the garment industry and the VET sector.