VET & NQF in Turkey

Dr. Necdet Kenar

MESS Training Foundation

Turkey has a relatively young population compared to European countries (2007)

Total population is 70.586.256. Urban population is 70,5 %, rural population is 29,5%.

Turkey’s median age is 28,3 years. Population growth is an opportunity for Turkey, as working population will continue to grow until 2040.

Age cohort Population

(million)

%

0-14 18.63 26,4

15-64 46,94 66,5

65+ 5,01 7,1

Formal education system in Turkey, 2007

Formal Education Number of

students

Net Enrolment Rate %

Preschool (3-5) 701.762 21

Primary education (6-13)

(Compulsory) 8 years

10.870.570 90

Secondary education (14-17)

4 years (general and vocational)

3.245.322 56

Tertiary (higher) education (18-21)

4 years faculty and plus graduate

2 years vocational college

open education

2.372.136 18

Total 17.189.790 46.25

Vocational education and training Two main dimensions: theoretical (school training)

and practical (in-company training). Vocational and technical education is provided by

formal and non-formal system. Formal VET

Vocational and technical secondary school (4 years) Vocational college (2 years)

Non-formal VET apprenticeship system which is work-based learning Vocational courses

Vocational and technical high schools Vocational and technical secondary education includes at least 19

different kinds of schools which provide training in more than 130 occupations.

39 % of secondary school enrolment is vocational education. Since 1970’s, the aim was to direct 65 % of children to vocational

education and 35 % to general education. In Turkey, while there are 4.244 vocational secondary schools, only

21 of them belong to private sector (0,5%); there are 3.690 general secondary schools, 696 of them belong to private sector (19%).

Due to the insufficient demand, there is a low level of private sector involvement in terms of founding vocational schools

The MoNE is responsible for oversight of all vocational and technical high schools whether or not they are founded by private or public initiative.

Critics of vocational education and training Lack of quality;

technical capacity of school, teachers quality, management quality

Lack of relevance to the labour market and in teaching methods, Mismatch between the supply and demand for skilled workers in

certain occupations, Low status, prestige and reputation in society, Perception as a choice for lower achievers linked poor quality jobs

and limitet access to tertiary-type A, The inability to attract young people and families to VET, Limited opportunity for skills upgrading, Firms’ dissatisfaction with the quality of graduates, Low level of private sector involvement in VET.

The VET system is under the reform process

Two EU projects were implemented. “Strengthening Vocational and Technical Education

Project” and “Modernization of Vocational Education and Training

Project” The duration of secondary education (general,

vocational and technical) was extended in 2005, from 3 to 4 years.

The VET system is under the reform process In secondary VET, modular programs are applied and a

flexible structure that facilities the vertical and horizontal transitions between the programs is now available.

Qualifications have become broader in social and health care, metal work and machinery and construction, to mention a few.

Specialization in these qualifications is still offered but in later stages.

The curriculum of VET has been restructured and modernized.

Textbooks has been rewritten in accordance with modular programs.

New (after 2005) VET Secondary School SystemField-Diploma (Example: Metal Technology)

12 th Grade

BRANCHES BRANCH A BRANCH B BRANCH C BRANCH D (Welding) (metal cutting) (steel const.) (thermic oper.)

11 th Grade

BASIC SKILLS OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS

BASIC SKILLS OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS

10 th Grade

BASIC SKILLS GENERAL OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS

9 th Grade

COMMON 9 TH GRADE

(GENERAL AND VET SECONDARY SCHOOL 9 TH GRADE)

1 th level 1 th level certificatiocertificatio

nn

2 nd2 nd level level certificationcertification

3 th level 3 th level Certification and Certification and

DiplomaDiploma

Formal vocational education Vocational and technical high schools provide

diploma to graduates of secondary vocational and technical schools

Graduates of formal VET may either attend mastership courses organized by MoNE or directly enter mastership examinations.

Those who are successful in these examinations receive a “mastership certificate”.

Best Practices Example: Koç Holding Koç Holding, one of the biggest private companies in

Turkey, promotes VET, with a campaign. They provide scholarship to 8000 students in VET,

during 2006-2013 period. Koç also provides practical training to these scholars in

its factories and workplaces. The beneficiaries are also preferred for the recruitment

by Koç companies.

Demand for VET is on the increase

Changes in Secondary Education

01020304050607080

Serial 1 General Secondary Edu. Serial 2 VET

Vocational colleges

486 vocational colleges (2 years) under the universities.

500 thousand students. Student’s success rate is very low. Only 30% of students can graduate, 20% of

students voluntarily drop out, 50% are dismissed. The schools are in poor quality in terms of student-

teacher profiles and technical capacity.

VET in non-formal education

Non-formal education can be provided primarily through vocational education centers and public education centers which belong to MoNE.

Apprenticeship training, which is a combination of mainly practical training provided in enterprises (4 days of a week)and theoretical training (1 day a week) provided in vocational education centers.

Primary and general secondary school graduates or drop outs can continue their vocational training under the apprenticeship scheme.

Apprenticeship training in non-formal

vocational education 4 steps for apprenticeship training

Candidacy of Apprenticeship Apprenticeship (takes between 2 and 4 years

according to occupation) Journeymanship( takes 3 years training in VEC of

MEB) mastership (after journeymanship training and

certificate 5 years work experience) In order for an individual to attain journeymanship or

mastership proficiency and certificate he/she has to enter journeymanship or mastership tests and be successful in them.

Other organizations, universities, municipalities, employer associations, trade associations, foundations, and volunteer organizations and private education institutions can also offer non-formal education activities and they can open courses and award certificates of accomplishment.

According to Law no. 1739, other non-formal education suppliers must get permission for their education activities from MoNE.

Informal learning

Informal learning is a very new concept in Turkey.

It is considered to be the sum of all overall skills individuals have acquired through work, organisational activities and family life in society.

It is considered to be very important for an individual to acquire a qualification on the basis of learning which takes outside formal education and training.

Validation and Certification (present situation) Turkey has regulations and implementations

related with enabling recognition of prior experience within the VET system;

however the country does not have a standard validation methodology with informal and non-formal learning identified, assessed and recognised in a way that would lead to nationally acknowledge competency.

Vocational Qualifications System has been underway

Turkey has recently (2006)established Vocational Qualifications Agency (VQA) to establish and operate the Vocational Qualifications System in line with EU. Social partners are given important roles in the management of VQA and implementation of the system..

So far, we have the Agency and the system, but not the implementation. According to the system: The national occupational standards will be established, The national qualifications will be defined on the base of occupational

standards. The vocational education and training will be provided in accordance with

these standards and qualifications. Candidates (workforce, trainees etc.) will be tested and certificated.

The occupational standards, testing and certification, the services for accreditation will be done by the institutions/organizations determined by the VQA.

Learning culture in companies and current state and demand on assessment of non- and informally acquired competences

1. General information (80% in metal sector) size of company

categories responses total responses in %

0-10 1 2

11-50 2 4

51-250 20 40

>250 27 54

sum 50 100

2. Learning culture in companies2a: knowledge best acquired2b: best way of learning in organization

categories

responses in %

VET

38

Organised training at work

18

Learning daily work

44

Sum  100

categories

responses in %

Schools-college etc.

26

Previous experience

14

Training at work

46

DailyExperience in workplace

14

Sum 

 

100

2c: best two factors that promote learning at work

Categories responses %

Support from management 40

Feedback from external contacts 6

Providing more interesting tasks 10

Providing more responsibility 26

Higher salary 7

Promotion or career move 11

 Sum 100

2d-j: statements

categories responses ( % )

  AW RW RR AR

solving problems together 4 8 19 13

employees get training 8 2 9 31

content with learning culture 12 9 17 13

self-organisation 28 30 14 4

develop themselves 8 9 13 21

work together on guestions 12 6 18 14

changing work roles/jobs 28 36 11 5

sum 100 100 100 100

3. Current state and demand on assessment of non-formally acquired competences

3a: How often use written apraisals/skill matricesfor describing competence? 3b: assessment of informally and non-formally acquired competences3a

categories

responses in %

twice a year26

once a year52

once 6

never16

 sum  100

3bcategories

responses in %

twice a year28

once a year46

once 14

never12

 sum 

100

3c: assessment of non-formally acquired competences

categories responses in ( % )

competence test 20

competence use 30

competence content 24

competence acquisition 6

not at all 20

sum 100

3d: demand for assessment of competences

categories responses in ( % )

national authorities 2

local authorities 6

competition 18

certification 28

social partners 8

individual employees 4

none 34

sum 100

4. Competence Assessment and eportfolios 4a:Would it be interesting for you to record competences

electronically and store profiles as e.g. eportfolios? 100 % yes

4b:Could any legal problems arise when recording competences of employees electronically? 96% no

4c: Could you imagine any other problems or discussion points in your enterprise (e.g. time consuming, electronic problems, etc)? 84% no