The Vocational Education and Employment Workshop, organized under the coordination of the Planning, Education and Culture Commission of the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD), was held under the hosting of MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı with the participation of Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer.

Dr. Savaş Yılmaz, Chairman of the MÜSİAD Planning, Education and Culture Commission, who spoke at the opening program of the event held at the MÜSİAD Head Office, touched on the importance of vocational education.

R&D centres in vocational high schools are increasing

Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer, who made statements at the MÜSİAD Vocational Education and Employment Workshop, stated that they want to bring the production capacity of vocational high schools together with intellectual property and used the following words:

"When you look at competition in the world, intellectual property and industrial rights form the main focus of competition. Patents, utility models, trademarks, design capacity and its commercialization. With the participation of our President, we established R&D centres in 50 vocational high schools with strong infrastructure. This was a journey from the vocational high schools that the February 28 process had left in ruins towards a vocational high school that successful students attend and that carries out innovative work. That number has now risen to 55. While the Ministry of National Education obtained the registration of 29 products in the last 10 years, vocational high schools have begun to obtain close to 1000 patent, utility model, trademark and design registrations. We have begun to bring this capacity together with our other schools, with science and art centres, science high schools and imam hatip high schools. While our target for 2022 was to obtain the registration of 7 thousand 500 products, we reached 8 thousand 300. Of these, 74 have been registered."

"Vocational centres must be made attractive"

MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı, who shared his assessments at the program, pointed to the steps taken to support the work that encourages vocational and technical education and said, "We need to be able to make vocational training centres attractive for both employers and students."

In his assessment on the subject, President Asmalı made the following statements:

"We are taking steps towards our citizens turning to different vocational and technical training programs and developing themselves. In order to encourage this process, we are working on a comprehensive education report that will identify the need for vocational and technical training in various sectors. Most of the problems raised regarding vocational education in Türkiye are problems that can be solved by strengthening vocational training centres. Strengthening the vocational education infrastructure offers important opportunities in terms of reducing the youth unemployment rate. For this, we need to be able to make vocational training centres attractive for both employers and students."

Internship opportunity in Europe from MÜSİAD for vocational high school students

In his assessment, MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı also recalled that MÜSİAD is among the few organizations that have received Erasmus+ Accreditation for European Union Erasmus+ Vocational Education Learner and Staff Mobility, supported by the Directorate for European Union Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Turkish National Agency.

Saying, "MÜSİAD will provide observation and internship mobility opportunities in the accreditation process to our vocational high schools, the shining stars of production," President Asmalı stated that 42 vocational high school students were sent to Austria and Belgium last week.

President Asmalı stated that a total of 42 students from the motor vehicles, information technologies and electrical-electronics departments will take part in internship mobility and on-site practical training at designated MÜSİAD member companies in the cities of Vienna and Brussels between 1 and 30 October.

The "Trade Diplomacy Workshop" that will train international trade envoys goes into operation

In the statement he made within the framework of the MÜSİAD Vocational Education and Employment Workshop, MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı stated that MÜSİAD will implement the "Trade Diplomacy Workshop" project as part of its academy and education work.

Within the scope of the work, it is aimed to give university students experience through trade diplomacy research and simulations. Students who succeed in the "Trade Diplomacy Workshop", where international trade envoys will be trained, will also be provided with internship and employment opportunities.

The future of vocational education was addressed comprehensively at the Vocational Education and Employment Workshop

The future of vocational education was evaluated at the meetings held under the moderation of names who are experts in the field within the scope of the MÜSİAD Vocational Education and Employment Workshop.

In the discussions held, views were exchanged on topics such as employment and sectoral expectations, the expectations of students and young people from vocational education, non-formal and continuing education processes, supporting training centres in order to increase the knowledge and skills of employees, and the development of trainers.