05 November 2025
As the Türkiye Gençlik ve Eğitime Hizmet Vakfı (TÜRGEV), we held the first session of the “Vocational Education Awareness Workshops Series,” which we launched to emphasize the importance of vocational education for the future of our country, in Istanbul. By bringing together educational institutions, public authorities, and private sector representatives, this initiative aims to establish lasting partnerships that will elevate vocational education from the local to the national level and to build a sense of confidence among young people empowered by their professions. Our Trustee Board Member, Dr. Esra Albayrak, also attended the program and met with young participants.
A New Era Begins with Our Call “Rise with Your Profession”
In her opening speech, our Chair of the Board, Hatice Akıncı Yılmaz, underlined that vocational education is the cornerstone of a country’s productive capacity:
“The true development of a country begins where knowledge meets labor. With this project, we aim to restore vocational education to the respected position it deserves and to help our young people build confidence strengthened by their professions. Because we view education not merely as the transfer of knowledge but as a guide for life, and we continue to be a guiding star for our youth.”
New Opportunities for Girls
Provincial Director of National Education of Istanbul, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Mücahit Yentür, drew attention to the need to strengthen vocational education and stated:
“Istanbul is a vast educational universe with nearly three million students and one hundred seventy thousand teachers. To connect every student with their potential, we must add families and the sector alongside the school student teacher triangle. We are building a system in which girls take greater part in vocational education and talents are combined with practice. The process led by TÜRGEV will turn into a strong march from awareness to transformation.”
Quality in Education Is Possible Through Sustainable Cooperation
The program also featured a speech by Muzaffer Aydın, Head of the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Quality Development Department of the Directorate of Vocational and Technical Education. He emphasized that the sustainability and quality of vocational education will be strengthened through public private sector cooperation:
“It is necessary to approach vocational education not only as a school process but as part of lifelong learning. This initiative led by TÜRGEV will make significant contributions to the vocational education ecosystem in our country.”
A Learning Chain from Internship to Career
Through the “Vocational Education Awareness Workshops” we conduct, TÜRGEV aims to establish a learning chain extending from internships to careers, align vocational education with sectoral needs, and develop applicable models from local to national levels. The workshop also featured contributions through presentations by Prof. Dr. Mehmet Sarıbıyık, Aykut Akca, and Talha Bektaş. During the day long working sessions, concrete solution proposals were developed under the themes of “Perception of Vocational Education and Social Awareness,” “School Culture and Student Awareness,” and “Family, Sector, and Public Awareness.”
Following this first session in Istanbul, we will continue our workshops in different regions of Türkiye, contributing to the future of vocational education.
