Türkiye 2023

Key takeaways

Access to VET in Türkiye is improving, especially for young learners. However, more progress is needed and to boost VET access, national authorities have introduced initiatives like scholarships, free schoolbooks, accommodation, transport services, and financial incentives in the form of internships. These efforts are expected to make VET more appealing, particularly for socio-economically disadvantaged families. While access to adult education could be better, VET remains a strong option for reducing unemployment among adults.

Learners in Türkiye benefit from a supportive environment for progression and graduation, with strong performance in offering flexible pathways after enrolment. The quality of basic skills and key competences in VET varies among the different groups of learners, with youth in VET in Türkiye performing above average compared to many other countries in the Torino Process. Work-based learning is well-integrated, creating strong links between education and industry and improving practical skills and employability. However, gaps remain in occupation-specific skills, and the outcomes of adult learners are still below the Torino Process average, despite being better than those of younger learners.

While the VET system meets current labour market needs, it performs better in supporting the green transition than the digital transition. Türkiye’s VET system performs above average internationally in many areas, particularly in data availability and quality assurance. Reliable data is published annually, and there is strong stakeholder involvement in VET activities. Private sector engagement varies based on management models, but the system is doing well in placing qualified staff in leadership positions and promoting internationalisation. Despite weaker financial investments in VET, Türkiye maintains a solid capacity to provide necessary resources and infrastructure. Curricula are aligned with national and international standards, ensuring access to learning materials and up-to-date technology in most training environments.

Access to learning

Monitoring in the area of access to and participation to learning helps countries assess the extent to which initial VET, continuing VET and other learning opportunities are accessible and attractive to all learners, regardless of their individual backgrounds or reasons for participating. The data also reflects how well learners can expect to progress through and graduate from these learning opportunities.

Opportunities for lifelong learning: access and participation

In Türkiye, young learners are less likely to choose vocational education compared to their peers in other countries. To improve access, national authorities have introduced scholarships, accommodation, transportation, free schoolbooks, and financial incentives for internships. These efforts make vocational education more attractive, especially for families facing economic challenges. Graduates who complete internships often find employment with the companies where they interned, and they can even open their own businesses in their fields.

Türkiye’s 12th Development Plan (2024-2028) aims to further expand access to vocational education, especially in underserved regions, through distance learning and digital platforms. The plan also focuses on raising public awareness of lifelong learning and encouraging participation from disadvantaged groups, including women, the disabled, and those unemployed for long periods. Efforts are being made to align vocational education with market needs through partnerships with industries and establishing vocational schools in industrial zones.

Access to vocational education for adults is a weaker area, though it remains an option for reducing unemployment. Courses provided through public education centres and vocational training centres offer flexible options for adults, including those with special needs. Some programmes even provide free transportation and meals to participants, further enhancing accessibility.

The VET system also supports the choices of learners by offering flexibility which allows them to transition between vocational and general education with ease. Students can switch between programmes or fields, and those in vocational tracks can progress into higher education with no barriers. Additionally, free transportation and lunch are provided for special education students, making vocational education more accessible to all.

The Torino Process is a regular review of national systems of vocational education and training as well as adult education. It is designed to analyse the ways in which national VET systems (including adult education) address the challenges of human capital development in a lifelong learning perspective. It was established by the European Training Foundation (ETF) in 2010 and has been carried out in partner countries in Southeastern Europe, Türkiye, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean ever since.

Monitoring in the context of the Torino Process describes the extent to which countries deliver on their commitments to learners in support of their learning through life (lifelong learning - LLL) in three major areas of policy and system performance: access to learning, quality of learning, and system organisation.

Quality of learning

Quality and relevance of learning is the area of monitoring that identifies how successfully the VET system provides basic skills and key competences to both young and adult learners. It highlights the relevance of VET programmes to the world of work and how effectively VET graduates transition into the labour market. Additionally, it monitors efforts to promote excellence across key domains, including pedagogy, professional development, programme content, governance, and social inclusion, as well as the openness of the VET system to innovation in response to the evolving needs of learners and labour markets.

Lifelong learning outcomes: quality and relevance, excellence and innovation

The quality of skills gained through VET in Türkiye varies across learner groups. While the system performs above average for youth compared to other countries, adult learners tend to have stronger skills overall. PISA data for 2022 shows improvement in key areas like mathematics and science, though Türkiye’s results remain below the OECD average.

To improve VET, the Ministry of National Education Strategic Plan (2024-2028) focuses on modernising teacher training, updating curricula, and integrating digital learning materials. Hands-on, practical skills are a key focus, and the plans include an increase in industry partnerships and enabling students to benefit from real-world learning opportunities through modern workshops and labs.

Türkiye considers work-based learning to be a strong component of its VET system, with enterprises required to offer vocational training and internships. Successful examples include Vocational and Technical Anatolian High Schools in industrial zones, where students gain practical skills while meeting industry needs. Career guidance also plays an important role in helping students navigate their education and career choices.

While employability rates are commendable, employers still report gaps in occupation-specific knowledge and work experience. The 12th Development Plan aims to address these gaps by expanding lifelong learning opportunities and creating an accreditation system to standardise training. Authorities report that public awareness campaigns will encourage the unemployed to re-engage with education and improve their job prospects.

Looking ahead, Türkiye’s VET system shows promise in supporting green skills and sustainability, but there is room for improvement in digital skills training. The strategic plans of the country aim to integrate digital technologies into vocational education to offer flexible learning opportunities through online platforms and courses designed to enhance digital competence.

VET in Türkiye’s delivers skills with varying success across learner groups. While young learners perform above average compared to other countries, adults tend to have even stronger skills. PISA data from 2022 shows improvement in maths and science, though Türkiye still scores below the OECD average. The Ministry of National Education’s plan (2024-2028) focuses on improving VET by modernising teacher training, updating curricula, and offering hands-on learning with industry partners. While work-based learning is strong, employers still see gaps in specific skills. Plans to expand lifelong learning and improve digital skills aim to better prepare students for future jobs.

System organisation

System organisation is the area of monitoring that captures performance across various domains of management and administration. It examines whether practitioners and leaders have access to data and evidence to support informed decision-making, the level of stakeholder involvement in VET governance, the quality and capacity of staff in leadership positions, and the degree of internationalisation. Additionally, monitoring the allocation of human and financial resources to the VET system helps assess whether these resources effectively support teaching, training, and learning.

System organisation: management and resourcing

Türkiye performs well in most areas of VET system management and organisation, particularly in data availability and quality assurance. The Ministry of National Education publishes annual data on student and teacher numbers, as well as school performance, making information easily accessible. However, there is room for improvement in using this data to make informed decisions and improving learning outcomes. The 2024-2028 strategic plan aims to address this by developing systems for tracking and improving lifelong learning programmes.

Collaboration with external stakeholders, such as the private sector and NGOs, is an area that could be strengthened. While there are formal processes for cooperation, greater involvement from these groups would improve decision-making and alignment with market needs. Quality assurance remains a priority. The plans in this respect include the implementation of feedback mechanisms and regular evaluations to ensure VET institutions meet adequate standards.

Türkiye also manages to ensure that the leadership and staff in VET schools is properly qualified. Authorities report that administrators and teachers have access to continuous professional development to maintain high competence levels. The country has a long-standing focus on internationalisation, with programmes like Erasmus+ providing students opportunities to study abroad and develop valuable skills. The next steps foresee the expansion in the number of international vocational schools to promote global collaboration.

Despite challenges with the amount of financial investment in VET, Türkiye has shown a strong commitment to building and maintaining high-quality educational facilities. Future plans of which the country reports include constructing eco-friendly buildings and upgrading training workshops with modern equipment, ensuring that learners have access to the resources they need for effective education and training.

Türkiye’s VET system performs well in managing data and ensuring quality. The Ministry of National Education publishes data on students and schools, but there is room to better use this information to improve learning outcomes. The 2024-2028 plan aims to track and enhance lifelong learning programmes. Collaboration with businesses and NGOs could be stronger to improve decision-making and align training with labour market needs. Türkiye ensures its VET staff is well-trained and has continuous development opportunities. Despite limited funding, the country is committed to upgrading facilities, building eco-friendly schools, and modernising workshops for better learning environments.

Promoting access and participation in opportunities for lifelong learning

Supporting quality and relevance of lifelong learning

Index of system performance

System performance

International comparability of performance results

In addition to messages about system performance, the Torino Process monitoring delivers information about the international comparability of results of each country, the extent to which these results may be susceptible to bias, and how self-critical a country is when it reports about its policy and system performance for external monitoring purposes. This is possible because the monitoring methodology foresees keeping accurate records about the availability, origin and type of evidence used to calculate the monitoring results for each country, including Türkiye.

In the 2023 Torino Process monitoring, Türkiye stands out for having some of the most internationally comparable data, thanks to its participation in global data initiatives like OECD's Education at a Glance. While some areas still lack evidence, Türkiye is better equipped with internationally comparable data than many other countries. Additionally, nearly half of Türkiye’s results are based on measurable data, though many findings still rely on self-assessment. As a result, Türkiye tends to view its VET system’s performance in a more positive light than some other countries.