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At the Istanbul Education Conference held for the third time this year, the theme of vocational and technical education was discussed. İLKE Foundation Education Policy Research Center brought together educators, researchers, policy makers and industry professionals with the Istanbul Education Conference it organizes every year.

TURKEY - The III Istanbul Education Conference, which focuses on vocational and technical education that brings together the education an dindustry sectors this year, was hosted by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday,   October 10, 2023. The conference featured Ali Karagöz, the General Director of Vocational and Technical Education at the Ministry of National Education (MEB), Mustafa Balcı, Education and Training Sector Manager of the European Union Delegation to Turkey, experts from the European Education Foundation, Lida Kita and Georgios Zisimos, Mustafa Necmi İlhan, President of the Turkish National Agency for Vocational Qualifications (MYK), Feyza Arıcıoğlu, member of the Higher Education Quality Board, and Murat Hazıroğlu, a member of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Vocational and technical education is one of the most important tools for the economic development and prosperity of countries.

III, which started with the opening speeches of İTO Board Member Murat Destekoğlu and İLKE Deputy Chairman Ümit Güneş. Istanbul Education Conference continued with the greeting speech of Ali Karagöz, General Director of MEB Vocational and Technical Education. In the speeches, the importance and place of vocational and technical education was emphasized in order to train qualified manpower, to exist in production and the market, and to make economic and social life sustainable. Vocational education in Turkey, whose historical background is based on the Ahi culture; The importance of continuing with national, spiritual and professional values, as well as with innovative approaches in line with the changing skill needs of the age, was also touched upon.

Turkey is going through an important development process in vocational and technical education

The first session of the conference was held with the theme of "Skills and Policies in Vocational Education". European Education Foundation Senior Human Capital Development Specialist Lida Kita, in her speech where she talked about the studies carried out by the European Education Foundation for Turkey, stated that the studies for Turkey have found response in both the public and private sectors and that there have been significant developments in vocational education in recent years. The second speaker of the session, European Training Foundation Education and Training Policies Georgios Zisimos, emphasized the wide stakeholder network of vocational education and touched upon the importance of an inclusive executive network for sustainable development. It was stated that the implementation of the executive network, qualified teacher training and the sustainability of the excellence of vocational schools are directly proportional to sufficient financial support.

The problem of vocational and technical education is an effective problem all over the world.

In the second session titled “Vocational Education in Sectors, Labor Market and Lifelong Learning”, ITO Board Member In the second session titled "Vocational Education in Sectors, Labor Market and Lifelong Learning", ITO Board Member Murat Haziroğlu emphasized that with the pandemic, the importance of vocational education, its added value and its place in developing the sector were better understood. Hazratoğlu said, “The brain drain experienced all over the world in vocational education causes the need for main personnel as well as intermediate personnel to increase. Vocational and technical education is of vital importance in filling this gap by educating the young population in accordance with the needs.” He used his expressions. In his speech, Mustafa Necmi İlhan, President of MYK Institution, talked about the work of the Vocational Qualifications Authority and underlined that vocational education has become more systematic and inclusive to provide a qualified and documented workforce within the framework of vocational qualifications.

Finding the “best” version of vocational education: Vocational Centers of Excellence

The last session of the conference took place with the theme "Excellence and Quality in Vocational Education: Models and Practices". Representative of the European Union Delegation to Turkey, Mustafa Balcı, emphasized that all stakeholders of vocational education work to increase Turkey's international competitiveness and that the Vocational Excellence Centers implemented for this purpose; He added that he is trying to research and develop schools, while also developing new education models by determining the expectations of the sector. As the last speaker of the conference, YÖKAK Board Member Feyza Arıcıoğlu summarized the work of the Higher Education Quality Board and talked about institution evaluations, accreditation studies and ethics acquisition. He emphasized that institutions have deficiencies in ethical and cultural values and touched upon the need for structuring in this regard.