30 Years, 30+ Stories: Türkiye, a longstanding knowledge-sharing cooperation

With a population of nearly 86 million across the country, the Turkish Directorate General of Vocational and Technical Education (DGVT) provided vocational education and training (VET) to 1,523,652 students with 125,364 teachers in a total of 3,452 schools, according to data published last year in the National Education Statistics Format Education 2022/2023. 

These impressive figures, with the number of students in the VET system alone 'exceeding the total population of many other EU neighbouring countries, show that Türkiye is in many ways an exceptional partner for our organisation,' says Gordon Purvis, human capital development expert, and country liaison for Türkiye at the ETF. 

Türkiye is the 17th largest economy in the world, with a GDP of €936 trillion as of 2023. It is a co-founder of the OECD, a member of the G20 and an increasingly important donor of official development assistance. It is a complex, dynamic, fast-changing country, heterogeneous in its rural and urban areas. It also plays an important role as a geopolitical actor in the neighbourhood. For these reasons, the relationship with the European Union (EU) hasn't been predictable over time, with different paces over the past decades.  

The country has been linked to the EU by an Association Agreement signed in 1964 and reinforced by a Customs Union established in 1995. Accession negotiations started in 2005 but have been suspended since 2018 in accordance with the European Council decision. Nevertheless, the EU remains engaged with Türkiye, cooperating in areas of common interest such as trade, migration, human capital development, energy, transport. As recently as 2023, Türkiye's total trade in goods with the EU amounted to €206 billion. 

An international perspective on lifelong learning 

'Given their importance in the region, there is no shame in admitting that we often learn from their experiences rather than the other way around,' says Purvis. 'In this sense, the ETF is a platform for Türkiye to participate in EU processes and programmes - an alternative form of cooperation beyond the EU accession framework.' 

There is a mutual understanding of trust and cooperation with the Turkish authorities, for example in the lifelong learning system. 'We value the opinions of international organisations such as the ETF,' says Dr. Serap Karabacak, an expert in adult education at the Directorate General of Lifelong Learning of the Ministry of National Education. 

'In a global context, lifelong learning is not only related to the internal dynamics of countries, but also to international needs. Our partners, such as the ETF, share with us their experiences and good practices from the countries in which they work. This helps us to identify the aspects of our system that we need to strengthen,' Serap Karabacak continues. 

Karabacak emphasises that lifelong learning activities in Türkiye are designed to support the personal and professional development of adults. To achieve this, over 3,700 different course programs have been developed, with education being offered at more than 1,000 lifelong learning institutions. In 2023, these initiatives saw the participation of over 10 million adults. 

'Especially after COVID-19, the focus of lifelong learning started to change. It has become important for adults to acquire digital skills in order to exist in society and the labour market in a qualified way,' says Karabacak. 'Recently, our Directorate General has been working on the recognition of prior learning, individual learning accounts and micro-credentials in the acquisition of these skills. It aims to carry out these studies within a holistic perspective.' 

Once again, 'the support of our partners like the ETF is important in this process,' Karabacak concludes. 

Türkiye's progress in digital education 

Karabacak emphasised the growing importance of digital skills in the labour market, especially in the post-pandemic era. The Ministry of National Education's Directorate General for Innovation and Educational Technologies (MoNE DGIET) is stepping up efforts to integrate technology throughout the education and training system.  

Through various initiatives, the ministry is not only improving digital literacy, but also transforming classrooms with cutting-edge tools. These steps are part of a broader strategy to ensure that Türkiye 's education system remains at the forefront of digital innovation. 

'We provide internet services, infrastructure and hardware to our schools and offer interactive content on the Education Information Network (EBA) platform for students and teachers,' says Mustafa Canlı, Director General for Innovation and Educational Technologies at the Republic of Türkiye's Ministry of National Education.  

As part of the FATİH project (Movement to Increase Opportunities and Technology, Turkish: Fırsatları Artırma ve Teknolojiyi İyileştirme Hareket), which is being implemented by the Ministry of National Education to ensure equal opportunities in education and provide equal access to digital technologies in every classroom, 'Internet access services are being provided to all schools, with more than 12,000 schools having high-speed and secure fibre-optic Internet access,' Canlı explains. 'Network infrastructure has been installed for about 22,000 schools and work is underway to provide high-speed and secure fibre Internet access to a further 6,000 schools and to install network infrastructure in 4,000 more schools. In addition, interactive whiteboards have been installed in 99% of Türkiye's existing schools to equip students with a modern, interactive and enriched learning environment.' 

'The infrastructure and hardware support provided to our schools will ensure the installation of the latest technologies in classrooms, and 3,500 "Innovative Classrooms" will be created to improve systems literacy,' says Canlı. The Innovative Classrooms will include 3D printers and robotics coding kits to enable students to effectively use technology in activities such as research, collaboration, peer learning and model development.  

Canlı also stresses the role of the​ ​EBA platform: a comprehensive digital resource that provides interactive content, animations, enriched books and simulations for teachers and learners, all aligned with the national curriculum. To further support educators, another platform, the ÖBA (Teacher Informatics Network), offers 52 online courses on topics such as artificial intelligence, coding, innovation, active learning pedagogies and STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). In addition, both online and face-to-face training sessions are organised to ensure that teachers can effectively integrate technology into their classrooms.  

DGIET recently launched the "EBA Academy" platform to enhance students' digital skills through personal development courses. The platform offers specialised courses in areas such as coding, robotics, software development, artificial intelligence, design, and STEM education. 

Key features of the VET system and the way forward 

Türkiye's vocational education and training system has seen increased investments from the private sector, complementing the Ministry of National Education efforts to improve technical education. Public-private partnerships, formalised through various protocols, aim to improve the quality of VET and strengthen skills provision.  

Employers' organisations play a crucial role, both through direct funding and through participation in EU-funded projects (Türkiye is fully integrated into the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus, EFSD+), while work-based learning (WBL) is an essential component to facilitate young people's transition to the labour market.  

EU-supported initiatives such as Erasmus+, Horizon Europe and the European Solidarity Corps have promoted cooperation in education, training and innovation. In addition, the Human Resources Development Operational Programme, with an EU funding of €486 million, has implemented more than 430 projects, focusing on the employment of women and young people and improving school enrolment rates. 

The ETF has provided significant support to education and skills development in Türkiye through various programmes, including an annual assessment of Türkiye’s Economic Reform Programme and broader human capital developments reported in the context of the Torino Process. 

Türkiye has made remarkable progress in education over the past two decades, particularly in reducing gender disparities in primary education, with girls now outnumbering boys in some regions. However, significant challenges remain, including wide disparities in academic performance based on socio-economic background and regional disparities between large cities and peripheral areas.  

Despite these challenges, the government continues to prioritise VET through financial support, policy and partnerships. VET plays a key role in skills development, providing both school-based and work-based learning in a wide range of occupations to improve workforce readiness. 

The Ministry of National Education (MoNE) published the "Policy Document for Vocational and Technical Education" in August 2024. In order to present Türkiye's future vision in vocational and technical education, the 'document includes 74 strategies under three main themes: access to vocational and technical education, improvement of it, and preparation for employment through VET,' says Canlı. 

The MoNE has decided to implement four new school programmes — "regional", "specialised", "intra-sector" and "sector-integrated" — to facilitate the employment of vocational high school students in each region of Türkiye. According to the plan, these new programmes will operate within the existing structure of vocational education centres and vocational and technical high schools in Anatolia. As a result, VET institutions will be able to renew themselves, integrate with changing and evolving systems, meet industry's demand for skilled labour, and facilitate students' employability by enhancing their knowledge and skills. 

These efforts underline the authorities' initiatives to promote VET for all, coupled with the EU's commitment to support education and socio-economic development in Türkiye, especially for disadvantaged groups. As a trusted partner for decades, it also positions the ETF as a key actor in the policy dialogue between Türkiye and Europe.