Reconsidering the Fundamental Problems of Vocational Education and Training in Turkey and Proposed Solutions for Restructuring

Abstract

This study addresses the problems related to vocational education and training (VET) in Turkey through the perspective of global developments in VET and evaluates the steps that are taken in line with the solutions. From this perspective, increasing the private sector's role and share in VET, strengthening the general skills that support long-term VET graduate employment and that renounce specific specializations, and restructuring the capacity of VET to have a more realistic supply-and-demand relationship are suggested. Additionally, the indirect effect of primary education has been demonstrated, and decreasing the differences in academic achievement in primary education level has been emphasized as being able to lead to an increase in the number of students in VET with higher levels of academic and general skills.