Vocational and technical education facilities play a significant role in countries' economic and social policies while also affecting investment decisions. Every year, 1.8 million students are being registered for secondary education in Turkey. Education policies are founded to strengthen vocational and technical education in line with industrialists' requirements. In this way, nearly 34% of these students prefer educational institutions that offer vocational training. The industry prefers the graduates of these schools with a technician diploma. Building a technically trained human resources demanded by the labor market is among the Ministry of National Education's priorities. To this end, global developments are more prioritized in identifying the demands of the real sector.

SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS

In line with this strategy, prestigious schools and centers of excellence have been established to increase the diversity in vocational and technical education. ASELSAN Vocational and Technical Anatolian High-School (MTAL) in Ankara and Istanbul Technical University's Vocational and Technical Anatolian High-School are prominent examples of such prestigious schools. As a result of the high demand received by these prestigious MTALs, these schools allowed the students with the highest success rate this year. Therefore, the students with the highest academic level started to take place in vocational and technical education.

MENTORSHIP

The business world's support to the vocational high schools became official through a special protocol. In January 2019, the Ministry of Industry and Technology, Ministry of National Education, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ICOC), and Istanbul Technical University signed a protocol on the cooperation between the academy and industry. As part of this protocol, ICOC has been providing 'mentorship' to 54 vocational high-schools in Istanbul. Within the scope of the national model built with the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges in Turkey (UCCTE) in line with this cooperation, at least one vocational and technical secondary education institution will be restructured as a center of excellence in all 81 cities.

Moreover, the relevant authorities have been conducting activities for improving society's perception of the vocational and technical education. Along with the developments mentioned above, the education processes are being updated in line with the investor demands and the 21st century's requirements.

34% OF THE YOUNG POPULATION AT VOCATIONAL HIGH-SCHOOLS

In Turkey, a total of 18 million and  108 thousand students receive formal education in pre-school education, elementary education, and secondary education levels. There are 9 million and 394 thousand male students and 8 million and 714 thousand female students. 1 million and 800 thousand (34%) of the 5 million and 650 thousand secondary school students are getting ready for their professional careers at vocational and technical high-schools. 43% of these students are females. In Istanbul, 35% of the 755 thousand secondary school students receive education in vocational secondary schools.

TRAINING IN ORGANIZED INDUSTRIAL SITES

The Organized Industrial Sites (OSB), founded across Turkey, also feature vocational high-schools. As of today, the 72 (33 public and 39 private high-schools) professional and technical Anatolian high-schools in the OSBs are training technicians on the production site. Last year, a total of 56 thousand students received education in the OSBs. Forty-six thousand of these students studied in MTALs, and the remaining ten thousand students were educated in Vocational Training Centers.

In Istanbul, with eight OSBs, there are two public and two private MTALs. These schools offer 4 thousand and 800 students the advantage of being trained in a profession inside the industry. Istanbul Chamber of Commerce provides 'mentorship' to vocational and technical Anatolian high-school students within Beylikdüzü OSB.

HIGH SCHOOL FOR CYBERSECURITY TRAINING OPENED

Vocational and Technical Anatolian high schools have been implementing education programs in 54 areas and 199 branches under these areas. Along with the vocational high schools, the Vocational Training Centers have been offering programs in 27 branches and 142 categories. Programs on contemporary areas in line with the present requirements brought by the developments are being launched in addition to the programs on electronics, machines, metal, and textiles. Renewable energy and cybersecurity are among the recently launched programs that stand out. The first cybersecurity high school founded within the body of Teknopark Istanbul will be accepting new students this year.