School-Workplace Partnership Guide For Vocational Education : Inspired By Mlmm by Vehbi Koç Vakfı

LET AN EXPERT BE IN CHARGE

SCHOOL-WORKPLACE PARTNERSHIP GUIDE FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I: SCHOOL-WORKPLACE MATCHING AS A PARTNERSHIP MODEL IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION 1. NEEDS ANALYSIS 2. İDENTIFYING SCHOOLS TO COLLABORATE WITH 3. LAUNCHING DEPARTMENTS AT SCHOOLS 4. PARTNERSHIP PROTOCOL 5. SCHOLARSHIP, EMPLOYMENT, AND PERSONAL-

VOCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT FOR

STUDENTS 6. DESIGNATING REPRESENTATIVES IN COMPANIES 7. SETTING UP AND MANAGING LABS AND

TRAINING THE TRAINERS

8. SKILLS EDUCATION AT ENTERPRISES 9. COLLABORATION WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS

CHAPTER II: VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP AS A PART OF WORK AND PRODUCTION PROCESS A. CONSTRUCT FOR PRIVATE COMPANIES B. CONSTRUCT FOR PROFESSIONAL

ORGANIZATIONS AND FOR CHAMBERS OF

COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

C. CONSTRUCT FOR VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION

CHAPTER III:

2. BASIM: 2012

“VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: A CRUCIAL MATTER FOR THE NATION” (MLMM) PROJECT WHAT MLMM IS AND ISN’T

“VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: A CRUCIAL MATTER FOR THE NATION” PROJECT AND SCHOOLWORKPLACE MATCHING MODEL

The project involved the matching of companies to vocational high schools which provided an educational program in the company’s respective field of activity with a view to promote youth access to employment and foster qualified human capital required by enterprises. The matching process was expanded to cover a broad range of activities, including scholarships, internships, and voluntary coaching support to students in line with the needs and resource of schools and workplaces. It also focused on curriculum, material and laboratory support to improve the school’s infrastructure and educational content to keep up with today’s technologies. In due course, the structure came to be known as “School-Workplace Matching Model” with all its components of support, including scholarships, curriculum, laboratory, internships, personal and vocational development, and employment. On the very foundation of this structure lies the idea of

“Vocational Education: A Crucial Matter for the

building bridges between education and business

Nation” (MLMM) Project was kicked off in 2006

communities by means of conceiving sectoral

upon collaboration of Vehbi Koç Foundation,

collaboration between vocational schools and

Ministry of National Education and Koç Holding

workplaces. Vocational High School Coaching

in order to create awareness in all segments

practice, which was developed as a voluntary

of the society regarding the significance of

staff program within the framework of MLMM,

vocational technical education, and to drive

is addressed separately as a social responsibility

this process to sow the seeds of public-private

project. Since it was not possible to scale up the

partnerships.

program due to limited availability of resources, it was not included in the “School-Workplace

Over time, a total of 264 vocational high schools,

Matching Model” or in this guide.

8000 vocational high school students, 20 Koç Group companies of various scales and sectors,

The current guide examines partnership initiatives

and more than 350 employees volunteered

based on the “School-Workplace Matching Model”

in the project.

SCHOOLWORKPLACE MATCHING AS A PARTNERSHIP MODEL IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

CHAPTER I:

that is currently in place in several companies outside the Koç Holding. It was put together to serve schools and companies that aspire to pursue similar partnership efforts to enhance the quality of vocational education.

A conspicuous problem with regard to

schools and the corresponding sectors induces

employment in Turkey is the shortage of

the double challenge of unemployment and

adequate numbers of qualified staff to cater to

shortage of qualified staff.

the needs in a given industry. Enterprises try to overcome the problem through in-house training

Therefore a partnership approach that enables

programs to equip their staff with professional

coordination between the vocational and

competence. Although they recruit graduates

technical education programs and practices, and

from vocational and technical schools, they end

the enterprises in the corresponding sectors,

up having to retrain these novices who plunge

rises to prominence gradually. The surge in the

into work life fresh out of school, devoid of the

population waiting to join the workforce and

knowledge and skills required by the sector. The

the growth of the industry and service sectors

time and effort spared for in-house training is

at the national level, coupled with the rise of

expensive, and leads to extravagant labor loss

vocational education standards in line with the

and high costs. Not every enterprise can afford

EU harmonization process at the international

to put their staff through a similar training

level, intensify the need for a collaborative

process; therefore part of those vocational and

approach between vocational education schools

technical school graduates wind up unemployed

and workplaces.

since they lack the pertinent qualifications. On the other hand, graduates equipped with the

The approach conceptualized as the “School-Workplace Matching Model” within the scope of “Vocational Education: A Crucial Matter for the Nation” Project was developed as a response to help bridge this gap. The Model summons workplaces to cooperate with the corresponding departments of vocational schools, considering the requirements of their production processes. The partnership encapsulates all areas of cooperation between the workplace and the relevant department, the implementation processes, and the mutual benefits.

necessary vocational and personal skills are at times faced with a challenge in their provinces in that they can’t find enterprises that offer the working conditions, wages, or personal rights that corresponds to their qualifications. The failure to foster a productive and systematic relationship between students’ choice of departments at the vocational and technical

“The projections for the EU for 2020

The situation depicts the new relationship

signal a decline in jobs that entail routine abilities, an increased focus on creativity, and a need to develop critical

between knowledge and economy in all its clarity. We call for partnerships in order to define and instill the required

thinking skills.”

competencies, and we recommend the adoption of this approach.”

Mustafa V. Koç

9 6

1 4

7 7

School-workplace partnership model may be implemented in various modules or wholly, depending on the needs and scale of companies. So far the practices within the scope of partnership fall under 9 main components: 1 Needs Analysis

2 Identifying which schools

to partner with

Schools

4 Partnership Protocol

For the school-workplace match to thrive,

Once the field of operation and the quantity of

When companies fail to locate a department

Once

it is of critical importance for companies

people to employ is identified, the next step

that fits their sector in their region, they

with is identified and all components of

that collaborate with schools in the field of

is to get in touch with authorities from the

contact the employer unions regarding the

the

vocational education to analyze what they

Ministry of Education or Provincial Directorate

departments they would like to see launched

employment, etc.) fall in place, the next

want and need from the very beginning

of National Education* who are known to

at schools in tandem with their needs. The

step is to set up and sign a protocol that

of the process. Only such analysis would

be open to all sorts of advice to improve

union officers, the Director of İŞKUR (Turkish

stipulates

allow companies to develop collaborative

vocational education and a positive demeanor

Employment

relationships that are mutually productive in the

towards partnerships. They are consulted for

province, Provincial Director of Education,

Depending on the particular needs of the

long run. Therefore, the first and most crucial

their opinions and advice on which schools

academicians, representatives of chambers of

partnering

step for companies prior to any partnership

to collaborate with, after which school

industry and commerce, and representatives

components such as internships, laboratories

is an accurate analysis of the qualities and

principals are asked to provide information

of workers’ unions attend the Provincial

and

quantity of employees they consider employing

about the school or schools. The school(s)

Employment and Vocational Education Board

in the MoE curriculum in terms of their

in the medium- and long-run, depending

are identified after a thorough evaluation of

meetings held in 81 provinces and voice their

content and duration. Upon negotiations

on their fields of activity and their needs.

factors such as the school’s geographical

opinions as to which departments should be

between

proximity to the company; an administration,

launched at which schools in response to the

differences are offset and a protocol is

teachers, students, and parents who are

needs of the sector. Furthermore, they directly

signed upon mutual agreement of the parties.

ready to collaborate; presence of departments

get in touch with the Director of İŞKUR and

corresponding to the employment needs; and

Provincial Director of Education to articulate

school’s existing connections with the company.

their demands and enable a discussion of the

*Depending on the content of the partnership, the level of the authority to contact with from the Ministry of Education may change. For instance, in case of a possible partnership that covers schools in more than one province, it is preferable to get in touch with the pertinent General Directorate within the Ministry of Education in order to identify the schools and workplaces to be matched. On the other hand, should the workplace choose to develop partnership with an already familiar school, it may directly get in touch with the School Administration. Where there is lack of adequate knowledge regarding the schools in the region, workplaces should first contact the Provincial Directorate of Education in order to have a good command of the local vocational education opportunities.

issue at the Provincial Employment Board.

“Although it may appear as the impact of the crisis is long gone, we observe that it still lingers in Turkey due to a rapid surge in unemployment. The only means to 10

3 Launching Departments at

Mustafa V. Koç

Agency)

the

school/department

partnership

the

(scholarship,

partner

internship,

partnership

conditions.

respective companies

workshops

may

companies

and

departments,

differ

and

the

from

MoE,

those

the

boost our competitive edge at the national level and contribute to the development of our nation is to abate unqualified labor and bring up “the qualified labor force that the market demands” 11

5 Scholarship, Internship,

6 Designating Representatives

at Companies

7 Laboratory Setup and

Management, and Trainer Training

8 Skills Training in

Enterprises

Employment and PersonalVocational Development Support for Students

Companies may designate representatives to

Companies can set up labs at schools

School-workplace

Companies may reach out to students in

act as a bridge between the school and the

in parallel with the requirements of their

important in terms of internships. Companies

order to contribute to their personal and

workplace and follow up on corporate-level

production processes. A regular update of the

designate the content and duration of skills

vocational education within the scope of the

cooperation such as scholarships, internships,

technical equipment and accurate management

training in line with their needs; they set up

school-workplace

can

employment support for students, curriculum

of lab upon setup is indispensable for the

workshops where training is to be delivered,

do so by taking into account their needs

development, lab setup, as well as personal

sustainability

school-workplace

provide the technical setup, and hold trainer-

analysis with regard to human capital, and

and vocational development of students,

matching practice. Lab setup and management

training sessions. A high quality internship

the opportunities at the schools they are

internships, and teacher-parent relations.

necessitates

contributes

matched

In companies above a certain number of

between the school and the workplace.

as professionals with high level of self-

encourage youngsters to opt for certain areas

employees, it is the master instructors or

The company, with the participation of the

confidence. Upon graduation, the ultimate

of vocational education and to support their

teaching staff who carry out a similar level of

school administration, identifies students to

goal of school-workplace partnership, that is,

education; organizing trips, seminars, etc.

follow-up. A successful partnership between

be trained in the labs, holds updated trainer

employment of highly qualified labor force,

for their personal development, offering in-

these representatives and school administration

training for instructors, and crafts a training

gets fulfilled as the students start working at

house internships and prioritized employment

is crucial regarding a decent management

program based on the feedback. This upgrades

the company where they had their internship.

opportunities, will all contribute to the growth

of the process of choosing scholarship

the quality of education at schools, student

of prospective employees for the company.

grantees from among motivated students

profile and technological equipment and the

with limited financial means, job placement

opportunity arises for companies to bring up

for interns, and following up on alumni.

qualified, employable staff that has internalized

with.

cooperation.

Offering

They

scholarships

of an

the

ongoing

collaboration

partnership

the

growth

also

students

the corporate culture. The company may support training of school instructors at these labs, contributing to in-service training.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We see that when given the opportunity, our

spawn major change. Thus we are content to

youth is capable of achieving great things. We

assert that every step the private sector takes

firmly believe in the potential of vocational

for the dissemination of such opportunities will

high schools and our students. We saw that the

bring forth change for companies, our youth,

8000 students whom we support within the scope

and the society at large.â&#x20AC;?

of the MLMM project can accomplish so much and

Ali Y. KoĂ§

9 Collaboration with Other

Stakeholders

Within the scope of the school-workplace matching model, companies may cooperate not only with schools but also with professional organizations such as chambers of commerce and industry, organized industrial zones, and other companies. Companies may encourage the launch of workshops in organized industrial zones so as to help schools and to mingle. In doing so, they can contribute to the sharing of cost in areas where there is a sectoral need.

“Vocational education provides a notable ground for meeting qualified labor need for the development of society, and allowing individuals to actualize their potential. In the new world order; strengthening the employment-vocational education link is a substantial requirement to boost national competitive power, contribute to development, and resolve the issue of unemployment.”

Oya Ünlü Kızıl

WHAT THE LEGISLATION SAYS ABOUT VOCATIONAL EDUCATION SUPPORT BY ENTERPRISES

Article 18 of Vocational Education Law No. 3308 regulates vocational skills training in enterprises and in vocational schools partnering with them. The law stipulates the roles of the school principal as follows: Selecting students that will attend skills training at a workplace and notifying the workplace; cooperating with the workplace representatives for skills training to fulfill its goals; assigning adequate number of coordinator teachers to ensure constant educational collaboration between the school and the enterprise; offering guidance, and supervising these activities. In enterprises employing 20 or more staff, a minimum of 5% or a maximum of 10% of the staff are obliged to deliver skills training to vocational and technical school students. Enterprises that will offer skills training to ten or more students as part of this law article are obliged to set up a training unit and appoint master instructors or training staff with technical competence qualification and work pedagogy training background. Law no. 6111 brings social insurance premium incentives to employers. In case enterprises recruit employees with a vocational qualification document and graduates of secondary/higher technical education, the state will assume the premium payment of those personnel for a period of 24 to 54 months. The longest running incentives are assigned to this group with a view to encourage vocational education. In Article 85 of the Labor Law no. 4857, in accordance with the amendment stipulated by Law no. 5763 dated 15.05.3008, “workers who lack vocational education in their respective field of work may not be assigned heavy-duty or hazardous tasks”. Regarding the implementation of the provisions in question, the “Communiqué Regarding Vocational Education of Workers to be assigned to Heavy-Duty and Hazardous Work” published in the official gazette of May 31, 2009, stipulated that “workers to be recruited for heavy-duty and hazardous work must first undergo vocational training”. In parallel with this provision, the employer shall ensure that workers undergo vocational education or shall select workers who have previously undergone such training. Article 10 of Corporate Tax Law no. 5520 stipulates that companies who offer aid and equipment donation to vocational high schools run by public institutions may record it as an expense item to be deducted from company revenues.

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP AS PART OF THE WORK AND PRODUCTION PROCESS

CHAPTER II:

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION DATA

As per the 2009-2010 academic year, a total of 1.565.264 students attend vocational and technical secondary schools in 43.183 classrooms, and with 88.924 teachers. In Turkey, there are approximately 5000 vocational high schools. Based on Turkey Statistics Institute’s (TÜİK) May 2011 data, out of the 24 million population that is employed, 9.8% are not elementary school graduates, whereas 55.7% have a degree lower than high school diploma, 16% are graduates of higher education institutions and 9.4% are technical or vocational school graduates. Based on the same data, 11.2% of vocational school graduates are unemployed. The Vocational and Technical Secondary Education Institutions Monitoring Report (2010) reveals that one out of five working vocational and technical high school graduates lacks any social insurance. 23% of graduates earn less than minimum wages.

This chapter comprises imaginary scenarios

food, communication, tourism, services,

inspired by projects implemented by private

furniture, engine, electricity, chemistry, and IT; we

sector, trade associations and vocational

highlighted problems encountered at each step

education institutions in order to contribute to the

of the way and we proposed solutions as to the

development of vocational education.

measures to be taken and possible improvements.

In these scenarios we tried to portray the

In identifying the problems and needs in the

various means to contribute to the development

scenarios, we focused on possible situations and

of vocational education, challenges faced by

mistakes that any company could come across

vocational education, and measures to tackle

along the way. We believe that resolving each

them. Our goal is to ensure that these imaginary

and every one of these issues requires effort and

project stories and their likes are actualized by

that improvement is somewhat impossible unless

various stakeholders in vocational education as

you encounter problems and observe the needs.

true success stories. We hope to see that such

Therefore, we would like to take this opportunity

practices multiply and serve as a guide.

to thank all institutions who have experienced similar situations as in the project stories, for

The first scenario pertains to a vocational

their efforts, the methods they have developed

education development project in the food

in response to the issues and needs, and their

industry by a giant food producer. The second

valuable contribution to vocational education.

scenario entails a vocational education initiative

We invite you to share your stories at

by another massive company, this time in the

mlmm@koc.com.tr to propagate your vocational

vehicle industry. The project encompasses the

education partnership experiences as well as the

whole spectrum from internship to employment.

lessons learnt.

In the following two scenarios, you will witness how two different SMEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s integrate vocational education in their production processes. The scenarios by a GSM company, a tourism company, a furniture manufacturer, and a company in dye industry will be ensued by an

The names of people, companies, organizations, cities and schools used in the scenarios are entirely fictional. Please take notice that there is no connection to any actual names.

imaginary project story depicting the partnership between a private company, the Chamber of

We wish that these fictitious stories guide you in

Commerce, and the Ministry of Education (MoE).

your activities and projects to contribute to the development of vocational education.

In these project stories which address partnership possibilities in vocational education in subsectors such as automotive, automotive side industry,

A A. FICTITOUS SCENARIOS FOR PRIVATE COMPANIES

CASE 1: THE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION WORLD OF ELFSITING FOOD CO. In this project story, you will find out: • How a food company has contributed to the food industry in terms of vocational education, • How the vocational schools for partnership were identified, • How the scholarship system was set up and managed. Elfsiting Food Co., has made a mark in the national food industry as a pioneer organization with around half a century of experience. Elfsiting Food Co. employs approximately 10.000 staff in its production facilities. The company contributes to the field of education by establishing one school each year. The company develops a project recommendation to contribute to vocational education.

the estimated time and monetary cost of

Elfsiting Food managers hold a meeting to

to attain the required production standards

outline the work schedule and the investment

regarding the technical qualifications of the

plans for the upcoming year.

workforce to be employed.

The Corporate Communication Officer of

Concluding his presentation, he concretizes his

the company who presents at the meeting

proposal backing it with the following rationale:

underlines the need to embrace a new

“Elfsiting Food Co. should allocate some of its

understanding and a different strategy in the

resources to vocational education and to quality

new working year:

improvement, because there is a critical need for

companies who have to offer corporate training

qualified manpower who have a background in “Elfsiting Food contributes to education

vocational education in food sector. Should our

through building schools and extending

company pioneer this process, other companies

annual funds to these schools. The vision of

will follow suit and the resulting domino effect

educational support should shift gears from

will bring forth progress in the sector.”

a “philanthropy” approach to sustainable projects, generating value for the nation and

The managers approve the proposal and a

the industry at large.”

working group is set up. The working group talks to the vocational school principals in the

Next, he announces the striking bit of the

nearest location to the company and generates a

sectoral report he has put together. He

report including proposals to renew the roofs of

presents the facts and figures displaying

two vocational high schools, additional service

the qualified labor need for the Turkish food

buildings in two high schools, and sponsorship

sector in the next 10 years. He announces

of the football team of one high school.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM IN SUCH AN APPROACH? The rationale for the company to offer support for vocational education was based on a sector-wide need for qualified workforce with vocational education background. However, the proposal by the working group solely covers the physical requirements of the designated schools. HOW CAN IT BE RESOLVED? • During the decision-making stage for vocational education, the company must base the project idea on a sectoral needs analysis. • At this stage it is necessary to rule out unproductive habits of the past, unrealistic approaches and suggestions that benefit neither the company nor the educational institution. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE AT THIS STAGE? The working group should initially identify the primary areas where qualified labor is needed in food industry, and then locate the vocational schools and their departments that offer programs that cater to this need.

The board of directors evaluates the working group report: Under the guidance of the company management, the working group contacts the MoE General Directorate of Technical Education. A list is generated, which includes the vocational high school departments, their curricula and geographical distribution. A total of 12 schools from the list are selected; these schools fit the needs of the food

production processes in various provinces/ districts. Some members from the working group propose that the selected schools are adequate and that they should be submitted to the management without further due. However one member refuses the proposal. He argues that the schools should match the needs analysis and he suggests a more profound analysis of the list.

WHAT IS THE NEED? Elfsiting Food Co. aims at helping students to graduate from these vocational schools with a robust education that equips them with the essential qualifications, and providing them employment at companies in the sector. Therefore, it is vital to respond to two important criteria here: • It is necessary to choose schools and departments in line with the production processes in the food industry. • Considering the limited mobility of labor, it is necessary to take into account the geographical position of the schools and the qualified workforce to graduate from these schools. The focus should be on schools in areas where the food industry is concentrated. HOW CAN IT BE RESOLVED? Not only a sectoral fit, but also the geographical elements must be sought after in selecting schools. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE AT THIS STAGE? The working group should initially identify the schools that fit the sector, working in collaboration with the MoE authorities. Then, they should work on a map to spot the schools that best fit the purpose in terms of their geographical location. Getting in touch with the designated schools, and finding out where their alumni work in general, may also help the decision-making process.

Identifying the schools and the content of partnership The working group observes the criteria of sectoral affiliation and geographical proximity, and limits the number to a maximum of five schools and to 125 students who study in the seven school programs relevant to the sector. Elfsiting Food Co. takes a decision to offer scholarship to these 125 students throughout their education, announce the alumni to other companies in the sector, and help them find a job.

A consensus is reached to figure out the quantity that every school needs and transfer the scholarship fund to individual school administrations. First, the working group representative is consulted with regarding his view on scholarship. The representative asserts that monetary aid is sensitive business, and that the terms of the scholarship process and criteria need to be set clearly.

WHAT IS THE NEED? Elfsiting Food Co. aims at encouraging vocational high school students for self-development in the food industry in order to respond to the need for qualified labor in the industry. Therefore, the scholarship process needs to meet three requirements:

• Scholarship awardees should be informed prior to the selection of a study field so that they can be guided to choose departments related to food industry. • In order to guide the students with the apt skills and motivation to corresponding departments, scholarship awardees should be selected on the basis of correct criteria and a scholarship system with clear rules. • Furthermore, the scholarship serves as a tool that provides rapprochement with the corporate culture. It is not appropriate to view the company merely as the supplier of money. HOW CAN IT BE RESOLVED? • It is necessary to get in touch with the MoE General Directorate in charge of coordination and submit the scholarship grant request and learn about the procedures to follow at the Ministry level. • The question of “Why and how do we set up a scholarship system?” matters. • To offer a meaningful scholarship incentive, students should be notified about the scholarship opportunities in the 9th grade to facilitate a conscious choice. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE AT THIS STAGE? The scholarship criteria and rules should be identified clearly. As these boundaries are delineated, it is vital to set up a fair, non-controversial scholarship system which rewards achievement. In selecting awardees, beyond academic success; motivation, skills, etc. that respond to the needs of the companies in the sector must be taken into account. The Company should manage the scholarship program and share the responsibility with school principals. As the project is implemented, company representatives should promote the company to 9th graders prior to selection of a department so that students can make a conscious choice and benefit from scholarship opportunities. During the scholarship application or admission process, students should be in touch with the Company, sniff the atmosphere and experience the corporate culture. The entire set of processes should be considered within the framework of the protocol to be signed with the respective General Directorate.

The company formulates the scholarship regulation and the protocol to be signed with schools The working group pens a protocol that describes all the elements of the scholarship system, and the cooperation between the MoE General Directorate and Elfsiting Food Co. A scholarship regulation is outlined as part of the protocol. The scholarship regulation clearly sets the criteria for scholarship award, application procedures and stipulates academic achievement as the absolute prerequisite

for the continuance of the award. The Human Resources Department of the company is assigned the task of following up on scholarship activities. Elfsiting Food Co. offers scholarship support to successful students from eligible vocational high schools, aiming at lure students to food industry departments of these schools. The effort will breed a higher number of and more successful graduates from food departments of these schools. Consequently, it will contribute to the bringing up of qualified labor force for the entire sector.

CASE 2: FROM INTERNSHIP TO EMPLOYMENT WITH HÜR VEHICLE INDUSTRY In this project story, you will find out: • How a vehicle company built its scholarship system, • How it facilitated communication between its production units and schools, • How it set up and ran the school labs, • How interns were placed in jobs upon graduation, • What changed in students’ lives through this initiative.

Hür Vehicle Industry Co., whose adventure began as a small-scale manufacturing company, moves forward with three giant manufacturing companies today; namely, Hür Agriculture, Hür Auto, and Hür Truck. The companies employ around 10.000 people. Furthermore, the company is a major driver of national economy through its operations in side industries. Hür Vehicle Industry targets cooperation with the vocational high schools in the automotive sector in its own region of production. First, the idea of an internship partnership with vocational high schools is approved at Hür Vehicle Industry. The management assigns Sezer Bey, the production planning manager, to attend to this issue. Sezer Bey identifies the vocational high schools neighboring the production sites, and contacts their administration.

Internship Support Takes Shape Sezer Bey also talks to the production officers at Hür Agriculture, Hür Auto and Hür Truck. He realizes that this is not simply a selection of students and placement in production companies, because during the course of their internship, the students will be involved with Hür Araç Industry as an employee. It will be necessary to select the most eligible students in line with the needs of the production companies, manage their internship process productively, and follow up on their job safety throughout. Sezer Bey thinks that there is need for an organization to manage this process properly.

WHAT IS THE NEED? • The internship process runs not only in the company headquarters but also in all production-related departments. • Therefore, there is a need to match the interns to the needs of the production process. • This is no ordinary matching process; students will participate in production processes that are deemed appropriate. • It is necessary to monitor and report the internship process, identify student needs, settle any problems that may arise, and keep in touch with school administrations. HOW TO SOLVE? The new situation requires a new practice that entails communication, orientation, and adaptation processes. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE AT THIS STAGE? The company management is face to face with a world involving production units, school administrations, and students. There should be communication and coordination mechanism among those different actors, through which schools’ and students’ internship needs can be matched to the company offerings. Similarly, via such mechanism, schools and production units shall establish a bond based on a healthy exchange of information, and both parties shall be updated about future developments owing to this communication channel. The partnership process kicks off for Hür Vehicle Industry’s production companies and schools A working group is set with one representative from three production companies (Hür Agriculture, Hür Auto and Hür Truck) to offer internship opportunities to students. The Working Group is accountable to a director and to the management of Hür Vehicle Industry. The company representatives in the working group are assigned the task of meeting the intern need in coordination with school

administrations that a protocol has been signed with. They keep in touch with school administrations and students, and convey the required information to the coordinator. Hür Vehicle Industry offers a rigorous and fruitful internship opportunity to 250 students annually from the relevant departments of the three vocational high schools matched to the pertinent production facilities from Hür Agriculture, Hür Auto, and Hür Truck.

A new development: An engine lab at Kırlangıçlar Vocational High School The representative of Hür Auto, which is affiliated with Hür Vehicle Industry, notices a lack of an engine lab at Kırlangıçlar Vocational High School that he is in charge of. He realizes that engine classes remain at a theoretical level and lack adequate equipment support. This shortcoming also applies to the competencies of the interns: Students are trained ineffectively regarding this key production process. It is inevitable that these prospective employees undergo a separate long-term vocational education program. The issue is brought to the management of Hür Vehicle Industry via School-Workplace Cooperation Director. The most striking piece of the Company Representative’s report to the management board is as follows: “Our proposal of setting up a lab comes with an estimated cost of 50.000 Euros. However it is helpful to approach the issue from a different perspective. The lab will be used by 50 students per year. And we wish to employ 30 of those students. If they fail to get a modern education, they will need to undergo at least three months of training in the enterprises where they will work. The three-month compulsory education cost per employee costs more than 1500 Euros on average. Furthermore, there is also the cost of being away from production throughout this period. Putting that aside, if we just compare the lab cost to the workplace training cost, the costs offset each other in the first year. Considering that every year the lab will meet the in-house and sectoral need for qualified labor, this is a major contribution for us, our sector, and our nation.”

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM IN THIS APPROACH? Hür Vehicle Industry takes a decision to set up a modern engine lab at Kırlangıçlar Vocational High School.

• A turnkey delivery of a costly investment such as a lab setup is accompanied with certain

They collaborate with the school administration to figure out the needs of an engine lab. Hür Auto’s engineers and experienced staff also join this process. The location for the lab is identified carefully. They choose a location in the school garden, facing southeast. This allows plenty of sunshine in the classroom where students will begin their studies from wee hours of the morning. Moreover, a small classroom is planned for presentations and group teaching in the education site.

• Plus, labs should be capable of monitoring technological innovations. Unless new

The next year, the company sets up a lab equipped with state-of-the-art technology products and delivers it to the school administration. Once the lab is opened to use, Hür Auto representative monitors the process closely. Soon he starts to witness problems regarding the lab. First he notices that the lab, which they set up with some notable investment, is used sloppily. The instructors working at the lab lack knowledge about the new technologies. Moreover, there is poor discipline regarding the use of the lab.

risks. • How students use the lab determines the efficiency of the lab. technologies are applied, it is not possible to talk about an up-to-date course setting. HOW TO SOLVE ? Labs should be living and functioning organisms. They are not simply a physical infrastructural element of the school, such as a building, classroom, or a cafeteria. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE AT THIS STAGE? The Company- thus Hür Auto Industry- should back the utilization and management of the lab. It won’t suffice to set up a lab and deliver it as a turnkey project to the school administration. How these education units will be managed, how they will be kept functional should be decided together with the school administration and regulated with a protocol to be signed between the parties. It is important to designate and train teachers who will be in charge of labs. Those teachers and company representatives should be in constant communication and newly emerging needs should be met through this channel.

New Strategy by Hür Agriculture Upon recommendation of the company representative, a teacher from Kırlangıçlar Vocational High School is assigned to take charge of the lab upon approval of the school administration. The company offers the teacher a trainer-training so that he is in full charge of the lab. The conditions of use for students are defined. Successful, talented and motivated students who will use the lab are identified. The teacher in charge is asked to report the gaps in the lab on a regular basis. Moreover, the company representative and the teacher in charge of the lab follow up new technologies throughout the year and work hand in hand to bring them into the lab.

Hür Agriculture, which operates within Hür Vehicle İndustry, is a company involved in the production, sales and services of agricultural equipment. The company is in collaboration with Şimal Yıldızı Vocational High School. Students are provided with internship during production processes. The management of Hür Agriculture plans a new human resources move particularly geared for the sales network for the upcoming term. They would like to see vocational high school graduates who are equipped with a knowledge of sales techniques, customer relations, communication, and body language. They plan additional training for interns recruited from Şimal Yıldızı Vocational High School.

WHAT IS THE NEED? • A specific sales function training that commences with an internship may be deficient in that it does not span a sufficient period of time and the currently available training programs in the company may not be age-appropriate for this group. HOW TO SOLVE IT? The company should restructure the training in accordance with age-appropriate methods and internship processes. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE AT THIS STAGE? The company may deliver a presentation to students from relevant departments explaining the advantages of working in the sales network of the company. In case a motivated group of students emerge, the company may devise an education plan depending on the duration of the training program and the year when it is appropriate to hold such training. In-house instructors and guidance teachers work together to design the content and support the process of developing an age-appropriate training package.

WHAT IS THE NEED? • The method of employing graduates should be identified. • Students’ internship and education performance must be evaluated during the recruitment phase. HOW TO SOLVE IT? It is positive that scholarship awardees and interns feel one step ahead in terms of employment. However, they should know that this is no privilege and that they need to meet other qualifications as well. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE AT THIS STAGE? Company representatives keep assessment notes for each awardee and intern based on certain criteria and heed these notes as they screen students during the recruitment process. The students are informed from scratch as to how the assessment process works. The students know that their positive performance outcome will play a determining role in their future employment.

Hür Agriculture designs a 1-year training with regard to the sales function, in addition to the current internship program with Şimal Yıldızı Vocational High School. Ten 11th graders who are interested in the program are selected, with the aim of employing five who have attained the required level of competency upon graduation. Employment on the agenda! Hür Vehicle Industry offers scholarship opportunity to 1000 vocational high school students through its 4-year vocational education project involving three of its companies. Furthermore, 200 students from the Kırlangıçlar Vocational High School Engine Department receive training in the modern engine lab. 40 students who study at Şimal Yıldızı Vocational High School and want to work at the sales channel of Hür

Agriculture attend training sessions. Hür Vehicle Industry’s relationship with students is not restricted to these activities. Every year, new interns are hosted for a period three days to visit all companies of Hür Vehicle Industry and be familiarized with the corporate structure. Various activities and workshops are held in which the senior management also participates. Moreover, yearly project competitions allow development of qualities summoned by today’s business world, such as entrepreneurship, project development, and responsible citizenship. The company cooperates with several NGO’s and holds training sessions to build student capacity in those areas.

100 of the graduates apply to work for relevant companies of Hür Vehicle Industry.

Hür Vehicle Industry employs 90 of the vocational school graduates whom they have trained and supported.

The qualifying students are screened on the basis academic achievement level, internship performance evaluation, and final skills tests.

Hür Vehicle Industry plans to offer employment opportunity to graduate students in line with the vacant positions in the company through school announcements.

HOW HAS THE LIFE OF ERCÜMENT K CHANGED? Hür Vehicle Industry’s support for vocational education was not limited to its positive contribution to the company and sector at large.

Ercüment formulates an idea regarding the welding process of the vehicle body. Working at a different angle, he aims to diminish the labor need from two workers to one.

In fact, perhaps the biggest impact was experienced in students’ lives. Here is the story of one such student, Ercüment K....

• Ercüment cannot qualify for the top ranks in the competition, yet he attracts the attention of master workers in the production process.

Ercüment K is a student enrolled in the Engine Program of Kırlangıçlar Vocational High School. His life is radically transformed when Hür Vehicle Industry sets up a modern engine lab at his school.

• His performance is recorded in his internship file.

During the construction of the lab, Ercüment learns from his teachers that only successful students can qualify for an education there. He gets rolling with the classes and ends up qualifying for an education at the lab. He gets his teachers’ attention through his diligent and determined attitude. His teacher recommends Ercüment to the company representative from Hür Auto. By the end of the year, Ercüment qualifies for an internship at Hür Auto.

• As he graduates the following year, he sees Hür Vehicle Industry’s posting for a vacancy on the school notice board. • Currently Ercüment K. is employed at Hür Auto Welding Department. • He is still working on developing the idea he had formulated as a student, and the master workers say that success is near at hand.

While he is studying the welding system during his internship, he also analyses the stages of the production process. Hür Vehicle Industry announces a competition among interns within the same year. The students are invited to generate ideas for a more productive production process.

CASE 3: SALUS HEALTH SERVICES CO.- AN EXTRAORDINARY VOCATIONAL EDUCATION STRATEGY In this project story, you will find out: • How a healthcare company addresses the issue of vocational education • How the Ministry of Education approves new curriculum

Salus Healthcare Services Co. embarks upon a new investment in healthcare sector. It plans a new health center for 60+ patients and guests, situated at a modern campus outside the city. The company begins to seek health technicians, expert staff for patient and elderly care in addition to physicians and nurses to be employed at the health complex. It gets in touch with the Provincial Directorate of Education and identifies Kanatsız Melekler (Angels without Wings) Vocational High School for Health as an eligible candidate. The negotiations at Kanatsız Melekler Vocational High School reveal that the school

curricula is lacking regarding the quality of labor that Salus will require. Consequently, the company contacts the Ministry of Education. Classes on “Elderly Care”, “Emergency Aid Methods for the Elderly”, “Stress Management” and “Communication with Demanding Personalities” are included in the curriculum of Kanatsız Melekler Vocational High School.

Salus Company retrains the Vocational High School teachers in line with the new curriculum for a length of time. It prepares course materials and delivers them to the school administration. As of the following year, the company offers training to the prospective maintenance personnel. Furthermore, the selected students are offered internship opportunities in the other hospitals of the Company. Interns develop their vocational skills while they get acquainted with the corporate culture.

At the end of the year, Salus Company analyzes the cost of training material for trainer training and course content. Approximately 2000 USD has been spent for this activity. It is realized that the company would have spent at least double the amount unless the students were trained in accordance with the new curriculum. Additionally, this new structure has proven fruitful for the Kanatsız Melekler Vocational High School graduates as well. The graduates who have been placed in other companies in the sector have been employed in a shorter period of time with higher wages, owing to the new curriculum training.

WHAT IS THE NEED? • Crafting a new curricular content will not suffice to solve the needs of the Company, and most probably new problems will require solutions as well. • Together with the new curriculum, new needs will emerge, such as trainer-training, preparation of training materials covering course content, and its distribution to students. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE AT THIS STAGE? The teaching staff should be educated in line with the new topics added to the curriculum. Teachers should embrace the cooperation process, and there should be close communication with the MoE, focusing on opportunities for collaboration.

CASE 4: ÇELİKBİLEK AUTOMOTIVE SETS UP A WORKSHOP In this project story, you will see: • How an SME addresses the issue of vocational education • Why and how a workshop is set up

Çelikbilek Automotive is an SME with 50 employees, operating in Güzelbahçe Organized Industrial Site. Serving in the field of side industry, the company is a supplier to major companies. The company is the shining star of its region owing to its high quality work. Each year the Company feels a more drastic need for qualified labor force given its rising business and production trend. A particular need of qualified labor force has emerged in inert gas welding area. The company attempts at the issue through employing unqualified labor force in its own production process and training them through a master-apprentice relationship approach. Nevertheless, it is evident that this is not an effective solution in the medium term.

Upon guidance of Güzelbahçe Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the company gets in touch with the nearby Güçlü Eller (Strong Hands) Industrial Vocational High School. However, the Inert Gas Welding Department of the high school is not well-equipped. The company explores other high school options in different districts. Taking into account its own scale, it tries to formulate a different solution method.

WHAT IS THE NEED? • Geographical proximity to qualified labor force is more critical for SME size companies. • İt is vital for SME’s to rapidly include graduate students from the partnering vocational high schools in the production process. HOW TO SOLVE IT? For SME’s, time and cost may emerge as more vital issues. An SME wants to reach the most appropriate solution as fast as possible. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE AT THIS STAGE? The first step is to eliminate vocational high schools that are geographically distant to the SME.

The Company talks to Güçlü Eller Industrial Vocational High School a second time. They identify the needs for inert gas welding training.

The students first and foremost need a workshop where they can improve their manual welding skills and follow new technologies. The company decides to set up a workshop. Yes, but where?

WHAT IS THE NEED? • This is an important question to answer for a company of SME scale. • It will take a minimum of two years to employ these students in the Company after they are trained at a workshop built at the premises of their school. However the company wishes to make quicker return of its investment. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE AT THIS STAGE? It is possible to launch the inert gas workshop within the Company premises. As students do their internship there, the company may train here other staff for short-term needs. Furthermore, the company can train its current personnel at this workshop whenever such a need emerges. Since the employees and prospects are to be trained at this workshop, any loss of time during business processes and risk of job accidents will be minimized.

Çelikbilek Company sets up an inert gas welding workshop in the company premises, with a capacity to cater to 10 trainees at a time. The most experienced headmaster is appointed as the instructor in charge for the workshop. Güçlü Eller Industrial Vocational High School Welding Department students do their internship at this workshop. Plus, an internship card is generated for each student. The teacher takes notes regarding the talents and job performance of the students on this card. The cards are kept for future job applications. The company also trains its new employees at this workshop before they join the production process. This minimizes loss of labor and time.

Çelikbilek company trains more than 400 students in inert gas welding for a period of five years. 115 of these students are employed in the company. Additionally, during this period, around 100 staff recruited from outside undergo this training before they join the business processes. The total cost of this five-year education, labor loss and time loss at the company, is at par with the cost of setting up a workshop. In other words, the workshop has amortized itself in five years. Furthermore, job accidents are reduced by 100% during this period. The company is chosen the safest enterprise in the region and is included in the model enterprises list of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.

The company should partner with a school(s) that is eligible in terms of its equipment, students, and teacher quality as well as its geographical proximity.

CASE 5: HISCELL GSM COMPANY TRANSITIONS TO NEW TECHNOLOGY THROUGH VOCATONAL EDUCATION In this project story, you will find out: • How a technology company adapts to the new production process as it supports vocational education

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM IN THIS APPROACH? As a result of its research process, the Education Department finds out that the quality of education at electronic departments of the various vocational high schools is high. However, they come across a problem: There is no training in the electronic departments regarding energy supply through solar energy or its use in GSM network standards. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE AT THIS STAGE? It is an advantage for the Company to have identified the good schools of electronics. To compensate for the lack of curriculum, there is need to cooperate with the MoE, which is known to be very constructive, and which assumes a facilitating role in such processes.

HisCell attracts attention as a GSM operator company that has realized many firsts and with its rapidly growing market share. One of the most important success factors for HisCell is its investment in innovation.

The company plans to focus on the use of alternative energy to reduce its costs in the new five-year investment term. As a solution for addressing the electricity consumption of the costly base stations, the company decides to use solar panels. The goal is to reduce the cost of electricity and disseminate base stations across the country. For the company to realize its plan, the base stations working with solar energy should be kept running, and they should undergo periodical maintenance and any breakdown should be addressed swiftly. Moreover, it is indispensable that the company trains its current maintenance personnel as well as any new employees in line with the technological advancements. The company management appoints the departments of Education and Technical Affairs to address this new development and asks them to come up with a plan. The Department of Technical Affairs calculates the number of qualified personnel required to

work with the new technology in the following five years. Considering the growth trend captured with the new investment, it becomes clear that the company will require a significant number of new personnel, also taking into account those who will retire and leave. The Education Department tries to identify the needs for the in-house training of the new recruits. The Education Department believes that the training should be carried out centrally. The idea is to set up a training station at the company headquarters and train the current and new personnel there, and follow an implementation process at various base stations simultaneously. On the other hand, the Management decides that this is a costly solution, and calls for exploring other alternatives, particularly, contacting vocational education institutions.

The company management gets in touch with the MoE and discusses the implementation of the required curriculum in the identified schools. The Company declares that it will assume the tasks of creating curricular content, creating and duplicating course materials, developing trainer-training; and it signs a protocol with the MoE. Pursuant to HisCell’s demand, a new course titled “Solar Energy and GSM Base Stations” is launched in the relevant departments of the seven pilot schools. The schools are identified also on the basis of the intensity of base stations in their neighborhood. HisCell cooperates with the MoE to establish the technical infrastructure of the education. Instructors undergo trainer training.

Company representatives observe the interns and document their performance on a scorecard. Additionally, in accordance with the protocol, HisCell’s current technical staff undergoes new technology training in the evenings and weekends on a modular basis. Teachers deliver the training in the classrooms and workshops of the selected schools. The Company meets overtime expenses of the instructors. Therefore, the Company enjoys the double benefit of recruiting qualified new personnel from vocational high schools and meets the short-term training need of its existing personnel.

A company representative is assigned to each school to observe the classes and make recommendations. Furthermore, motivated students above a certain achievement level qualify for a summer internship at HisCell.

CASE 6: JETRO TOUR OPENS UP TO ITS NEW MARKET THROUGH VOCATIONAL EDUCATION In this project story, you will find out: • How a tourism company enjoys market advantage by supporting vocational education

Jetro Tour is one of the young and dynamic companies of the fast growing tourism sector.

Jetro Tour Company gets in touch with the administration of Çınar University Vocational High School of Tourism.

The Company has been planning to open up to the South American market for a while and has recently reached a certain level of maturity on that front.

The school meets the desired quality standard, however, it offers no Spanish language training.

The Company Management takes a strategic decision to penetrate that market in the coming years and plans to restructure the Jetro Tour Overseas Operations Department. There is a particular need for Spanishspeaking staff experienced in tours and booking transactions.

The Company urges to act fast, and contacts Çınar University, which is located in the same province. It plans to make presentations to senior students from the Spanish Language and Literature Program, identify students who would work with them upon graduation, and include them in their business processes following a three-month training program.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM IN THIS APP? • How eligible are the graduates of Spanish Language and Literature Program for the

Having reached an agreement with the school administration about scholarship and internship opportunities for students taking selective Spanish courses, the Company decides to set up a booth at the school each year to introduce itself to the students.

The Company and the School sign a protocol.

The company reaps the fruits of the selective Spanish courses at Çınar University in two years.

Based on the protocol, senior students of the Vocational High School will sit an exam. Those who pass and wish to work with the Company will do their internship in the company. Then, they will take intensified Spanish courses upon support of the company. The company will employ students who pass this stage successfully.

Graduates who have taken selective Spanish courses at third and senior grades are employed without any further cost required by the Company. On the other hand, some of the graduates take advanced Spanish classes and begin to work as tourist guides.

The Company also asks the school administration to incorporate selective Spanish courses to the curriculum to compensate for the labor gap in the long run.

The company’s initiative leads to an increase of Spanish-speaking qualified human resources in the market and this has a positive impact for the tourism sector in general.

Company? • For one thing, these students lack any education based on a tourism notion, therefore they have low sectoral motivation. • The benefit of any in-house training is vague. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE AT THIS STAGE? Instead of an educational institution focused on Spanish training yet distant to the tourism industry, it makes more sense to collaborate with Vocational High Schools of Tourism. Since these schools are sectorally more apt, their graduates will have an easier and faster adaptation to the Company’s business processes.

CASE 7: COZY CHAIR CO. AND DESING CONCEPT In this case study, you will see: • How a local production company manages structural change through collaborating in vocational education

CASE 8: ALLEF KİMYA İLE MESLEK LİSELERİNDE YENİ BİR BÖLÜM DOĞUYOR In this section you will find out: • How a company pioneers the launch of a new vocational education department

Located in a city away from the economic centers of the country and famous for its handcrafts, Cozy Chair Co. is a gradually ascending star born at a furniture workshop.

Allef Chemistry is the largest dye industry exporter in the country.

Known for its handmade furniture production initially, the Company has specialized in chair design and production over time.

The company owes its successful performance to its innovation activities. Each year, a hefty portion of the investment budget is allocated to R&D.

Cozy Chair Co has a noteworthy share in the domestic market and aims at meeting the demand of the fast growing middle class in the Middle East and expanding its customer portfolio through networking at international exhibitions. However, there is a significant threshold that the company needs to overcome: Developing new designs with style and features required in the target markets and convert these designs into products with reasonable cost. Since the company is located far from the commercial hubs of the country, it is aware that it may not attract qualified labor force physically, so it primarily turns to local resources. Therefore it contacts Şen Menteşe Vocational High School Furniture Technologies Department in its city. Upon support of the Provincial Directorate of Education, a

Furniture Design course is incorporated in the curriculum. The Company sends its qualified masters and technical staff as instructors to teach at this course. It also occasionally invites prestigious furniture designers as guest lecturers at the school. Moreover, successful and talented students from the department are taken to international exhibitions where they can catch up with the new technologies and designs. It also initiates an annual Chair Design Competition that calls for participation of Vocational High School Furniture Department students and teachers from across the country.

For the last two years Allef Chemistry has been operating two in-house R&D labs dedicated to nanotechnology running at full capacity. The company targets being the new market leader with its in-house production of nanotechnological dyes that kill germs and clean the air. Furthermore, it is apparent that the other dye companies in the market will shortly enter the nano-dye business.

Company representatives from the market countries are also invited to take part in the jury.

Allef Chemistry starts to seek a solution to meet the intermediate staff need that will emerge in the nano-dye sector that it has pioneered.

Those designs that are worthy of an award get implemented to be offered to the customers in the market.

In the meantime, the company representatives meet the vocational education authorities from the MoE at a conference. As a result of the negotiations, Allef Chemistry Co. signs a protocol with the MoE. In accordance with the protocol, dye labs are

set up in three Vocational High Schools of Chemistry. Furthermore, the company recruits interns from these high schools. However, after a while, due to the nature of nano-dye technology, it becomes evident that these labs will fail to upkeep the sector adequately. As a result, Allef Chemistry reaches a firsttime agreement with MoE. In line with the new protocol, a new department is to be launched in one of three Vocational High Schools of Chemistry. Called the Nano-Chemistry Department, the curricular content of this new discipline, the textbooks, and lab support are provided by Allef Chemistry. Furthermore, Allef Chemistry engineers assume the role of instructor in certain classes. The other instructors of the department undergo trainer training at Allef Chemistry plant in the summer term. The MoE acknowledges the highly successful practice of launching a new department as a model practice and initiates efforts to disseminate it.

B B. SCENARIOS REGARDING PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIOS AND CHAMBERS OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE

In this section, you will see: â&#x20AC;˘ What a professional organization and a company could do together to promote the development of education

1. A NEW DEPARTMENT UPON COLLABORATION OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND COMPANIES Zet Restaurant Chain is one of the most prominent companies of the sector with its 22 enterprises spread along the southern coast. The Company, which particularly serves Mediterranean cuisine tours from abroad, needs more cooks with expertise in Mediterranean cuisine as its business volume grows. As an initial step to respond to this need, the Company first researches the Vocational High School of Culinary Arts only to find out

that there is no school with a Mediterranean cuisine program. Talking to other companies operating in the field of Mediterranean cuisine, Zet decides to take an entrepreneurial step and develops the idea of launching a Mediterranean Culinary Arts Department in a selected Vocational High School of Culinary Arts.

WHAT IS THE NEED? Starting a new department at a Vocational High School may be too ambitious of an initiative for a medium-scale enterprise. HOW TO SOLVE IT? WHAT TO DO AT THIS STAGE? Upon support of the MoE, partnering up with other institutions for support, would increase the chances of success for the company. Zet, organizes meetings with companies in the region that operate in the same field. They bring the matter to the table and decide to propose project partnership to the largest and most influential Chamber of Commerce in the region. They talk to Zeytinli Chamber of Commerce regarding the tourism potential of the region, the rising global trend regarding Mediterranean cuisine, and the potentials as well as opportunities. Zeytinli Chamber of Commerce agrees to partner up with the project. They outline a budget with the resources of the Chamber and contribution from the companies. Within the scope of the

protocol signed with the MoE, they launch a Mediterranean Culinary Arts Department at a selected school. An important part of the instructor need is met through expert cooks from other companies. Furthermore, the curriculum and content are created through the joint work of the companies. The physical setup, kitchens and utensils are reimbursed from a common budget. The students studying at the department do their internship in the kitchens of other companies, primarily in the Zet chain of restaurants.

2. TEMİZİŞ VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL OF COMMERCE COLLABORATES WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND ITS MEMBERS The School Principal of Temiziş Vocational

e-mailed an e-form where they can fill the required

High School of Commerce, Şahika Hanım,

quantity of interns and qualifications.

pays a visit of thanks to the Board of

The Vocational High School is asked to send

Tahirli Chamber of Commerce for offering

information and report cards for senior students.

scholarship support to their school for years, and also brings to the table new opportunities

Chamber of Commerce Directorate of Information

for collaboration.

Processing develops software that matches the students to the data from the forms filled by the

Şahika Hanım underscores the significance of

companies.

the scholarship for their school and asserts that it would be beneficial to diversify this

The students and companies matched for

support of the Chamber of Commerce in

internship are notified. Students visit the

the new term. She comes up with a tangible

companies that they are matched to for

proposal:

interviews, upon reference of the Chamber of Commerce. Students whose interviews went

“Senior students seek enterprises where they

well start as interns. The internship process is

can do their internship. Yet, they cannot find

monitored through various tools, such as the

one. Most of the time they do their internship

internship record that tracks the performance of

on paper or in random companies. They do

interns, report by the coordinating instructor, and

not gain any professional experience. Should

workplace evaluation. School Principal Şahika

Tahirli Chamber of Commerce bring together

Hanım monitors students in person and through a

member companies who need interns with

team of instructors assigned to monitor students

those students seeking internship, it would be

to ensure that they pay due attention to their

a win-win situation for both parties...”

internship. She pays weekly visits to see whether the students could adapt to the internship setting

Tahirli Chamber of Commerce responds

and location and follow up on the tasks assigned

positively. A joint study group is established

to students as well as what the students have

between the school and the Chamber

gained during the process.

of Commerce Directorate of Vocational

Development and Information Processing.

This successful initiative motivates the managers

The Directorate of Vocational Development

of the Chamber of Commerce regarding new

refers to the Chamber Registry Database

partnership opportunities with the Vocational High

and lists the companies based on their field

School of Commerce. Through a protocol signed

of operation. Moreover, the communication

with the school, a new initiative is launched to

information of companies is provided through

introduce member companies of the Chamber to

the common database pool. All companies are

the students.

Accordingly, senior students from the School

Matching Model developed by the Chamber of

of Commerce are invited to the Chamber of

Commerce as a Job Matching Model.

Commerce Assembly meeting held on the last Wednesday of each month. Every month,

54 students who graduated recently are

one member of the Chamber of Commerce

employed by the members of the Chamber

Assembly introduces his enterprise to the

of Commerce in line with the data of the

students that participate. He shares how

School Career Office and functioning of the

he began his work life, the experiences

matching program. Students who work at

he accumulated and the adventure of his

the Career Office visit the schools of the

company.

alumni and organize career days to promote themselves and their workplace. They

Upon joint efforts of the Chamber and the

invite representatives of other employment

school administration, a competition with

providers in the vicinity as well. The Career

the theme “One Suggestion Per Year for the

Office supports the development of a web

Development of Commerce in Our City” is

page, video films, presentations and other

held annually. Students are asked to present

tools that help promote schools. Furthermore,

their creative ideas. The top three ideas

they identify neighborhood institutions who

selected through the votes of the Assembly

are in no partnership project as yet, such as

are conferred various awards. Winning ideas

NGOs, local public organizations and those

are published on the web site of the Chamber

enterprises who can provide employment

and shared with the other members of the

and prioritize qualified personnel, who have

Chamber.

had vocational training in fundamental rights such as payment of wages or social security.

School Principal Şahika Hanım notices that

They then promote themselves together

the graduates continue to have difficulties in

with school administrators. The Career

finding a job despite the positive development

Office contacts İŞKUR (Turkish Employment

regarding internship. A new project is initiated

Agency) and intermediates the training of

with the Chamber of Commerce to address

senior students in writing CV’s or interview

the issue. A Career Office is established

techniques.

within the premises of the high school. The office, which is run by students of multiple

The chain of positive development triggered

grades as a social responsibility project, is

upon collaboration of the Chamber of

built around two purposes: Staying in touch

Commerce helps promote the name of

with the alumni and building and sustaining

Temiziş Vocational School of Commerce and

communication network with the enterprises

boosts the school’s appeal in the eyes of both

in the region for the alumni to be placed

the school and the employers. The school

in jobs. The office reports to the assistant

grows to be a center of attraction and offers

school principal under the supervision of

social benefit by enabling vocational

a guidance teacher. The office gathers all

technical education to attain its goal.

the training, equipment and communication data with respect to the entire body of alumni. The data is included in the Internship

C. SCENARIOS FOR VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION

In this section, you will find out: • How a vocational high school administration may build partnership with private sector companies to promote the school’s development, enhance quality of education, and guarantee employment for the alumni.

YENİBAHAR INDUSTRIAL VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CARRIES ON AS A CENTER OF ATTRACTION IN THE NEW CENTURY… Yenibahar Industrial Vocational High School is an established high school situated in the strongest industrial city of the country. The high school, which continues education in the century-old historical buildings, is at the same time one of the first vocational education institutions established in the region. Recently appointed to the high school as a manager, Mehmet A. holds a meeting with assistant school principals and asks them to formulate a report regarding the school’s problems and most critical gaps. Following the meeting, he visits and observes all the school structures, units, and workshops. The report includes issues such as repairing the roof of school’s main building, constructing the almost collapsing garden wall, building a new cafeteria for students, and the equipment shortage in the engine workshop.

Having read the report, Mehmet A. first talks to the instructor in charge of the engine workshop. The instructor conveys that the workshop lacks some important items, that the equipment dates back to 10-year-old technology, that some of it is old and some it is out of use, and the students would not be able to access a satisfactory education in such poor conditions.

Furthermore, through technological developments, a new time has come where it is possible to deliver trainings in labs to benefit production processes, meeting the needs of industrialists as well as consumer demand. In other words, nowadays labs are the new trend. In many vocational education labs in the West, the education process is managed in labs.

The principal of Yenibahar Industrial Vocational High School Mehmet A. retreats to reflect on where to start. It is not possible to cover for the gaps of the school given his scarcely available resources. The best solution is to turn to the large industrial organizations in the province for support. The high school educates the future staff of these companies at the end of the day. But what would be the most spot-on request?

WHAT IS THE NEED? It is quite normal for the vocational education institutions to turn to companies for support. However, private companies have limited resources too. In the long run, it will prove more fruitful for both parties if the educational institution approaches the companies through a collaboration proposal around a given project. WHAT TO DO AT THIS STAGE? It is indispensable to first develop proposals that serve to enhance the school’s education quality and as a natural consequence benefit the companies, and then knock on the door of private sector. The instructor in charge and Mehmet A. visit various departments of the company for preliminary discussions and prepare a presentation. They make an appointment with the company. They meet a member of board. Mehmet A., gives the following presentation: “MotoBis Co. meets most of its qualified labor requirement through students studying at our high school’s engine program. Nevertheless, the Company holds a one-month preliminary training for the entire student population since the engine workshop fails to offer a proper training. It is not possible to assign the students to any services before they participate in this preliminary training. The cost of this training per person per day is approximately 100 TL: Additionally, other than the preliminary training, during certain times of the year, advanced engine training sessions are held. Considering all the costs involved, lack of qualified labor force from the very beginning means a huge financial burden on the company. Loss of labor in services during

the advanced engine training and slowdown of new recruitment are the additional disadvantages. Should MotoBis establish a modern electromechanical lab at Yenibahar Industrial Vocational High School, all the alumni will attend the prerequisite classes of the preliminary and advanced engine training, which are indispensable for the company. The students will directly start working in the production process and services of the Company once they graduate. Accordingly, the company will avoid the cost of churn or education. Based on the calculations, after a while, the Company will need to amortize its investment for the lab. On the other hand, the launch of such a lab will attract the attention of other production companies. The initiative will spur the establishment of new labs and workshops. This will benefit regional and national economy and students will find jobs more easily.” MotoBis sends a positive reply in one week. Yenibahar Industrial Vocational High School welcomes a modern lab.

In the aftermath of this achievement, Mehmet A. decides to turn to SME’s that operate in the region. He holds a meeting with Aslan Elevator Co. He convinces to company to set up a small production stand in a suitable corner of their electro-motor lab, which will allow students to receive education on elevator engines. Aslan Elevator Co. is convinced about recruiting interns too. Another SME operating in the field of electrical insulation elements in the industrial zone is convinced to offer instructor support. Engineers from the Company agree to deliver presentations about insulation elements to students on specified days of the week. Mehmet A., believes that it is necessary to set up a system that will help both interns and the companies regarding job placement of alumni. He gradually shapes the idea that an online matching portal could do the job. He contacts IT companies. One of the companies responds positively to working with the IT Department of the school. The company offers software and license support. IT students set up a Matching Portal upon support of the company software staff. Students’ courses, achievement levels and internship requests are entered to this portal. Additionally, they upload the CV’s of alumni on the portal. They dedicate a field for companies to upload their internship and staff calls. This enables a match between labor force supply and demand. In order to sustain the services of the portal Mehmet A. sets up a Career and Communication Office. The Office is also in charge of promoting the school with additional promotional tools, monitoring current partnerships with companies and developing new ones, tracking alumni and placing them in jobs. He assigns one of his assistants to manage the office, which receives voluntary support from students and where guidance teachers are in charge. Mehmet A. conducts similar work for the education quality of the school, communication with alumni, relations with civil society and public institutions, and relations with vocational high schools. As the two major indicators of success at school, he captures a very successful performance in placing alumni to a higher level of educational institution and/or job in their field of study.

Mehmet A. looks back at the systems he set up as the school principal: • He has enriched the academic and technical curricula through required partnerships to ensure the areas/topics of education are popular; he has developed the skills of instructors through partnerships where instructors have also taken the lead when necessary; he has enhanced the quality of student education that was also backed with internships; • Through an advisory board, he has enabled senior executives of leading companies in the respective industries to come to the school to share their vision; • He has enriched the guidance requirements of students through ISKUR courses, or partnerships with relevant NGO’s, chambers, associations or public institutions and support of guidance teacher; he has raised students’ professional awareness and awareness of their educational needs; • He has supported students’ academic achievement through additional courses and work opportunities; • He has enabled a safe and reliable atmosphere through various partnerships with NGO’s and enterprises, which has strengthened students’ bonds with the school as a social community; he has boosted their sense of belonging to the school through participation in social projects such as various competitions held at school as well as voluntary practices such as the Career and Communication Office, and through support for their personal /professional development; • He has placed the alumni to jobs or schools, and then supported ongoing ties and sense of belonging with their school. Through school invitations and alumni support programs, he has delightedly seen the school turn into a center of attraction. At the end of all this work, Yenibahar Vocational High School is almost enjoying a second spring. It adapts a century-old wealth of experience to new needs and conditions, and contributes to its own reputation, its students and alumni, its educational staff, its external stakeholders, and the national economy.

CHAPTER III:

“VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: A CRUCIAL MATTER FOR THE NATION” PROJECT

The project was managed under 8 main components: 1

Scholarships

• Since 2006, for a period of 4 years, Vehbi Koç Foundation had planned to extend scholarships to a total of 8000 students, with 2000 new awardees included each year. The number of active scholarship recipients within the scope of the project reached 8118 as per 2012. • The scholarship commissions established at each school within the scope of the partnership project comprised a Vocational High School Coach, school principal, a teacher and (if available) a guidance teacher. 2

Internships

• Company representatives and school principals built partnerships between workplaces and schools to place those students in need of internship in those workplaces. • Within the framework of the project, 83% of students had the chance to do their internship with the support of the Holding companies. 3 Coaching Service • More than 350 Vocational High School Coaches in 76 provinces met with the awardees regularly for 4 years and implemented models to back their personal and professional development.

• In these models, the first year embodies the topics of result-oriented action, time management, professional guidance, the second year, responsible citizenship, project development, project competition; the 3rd year, teamwork, problem-solving, project management, internship placement; 4th year, business ethics, entrepreneurship, writing a CV, interview techniques, and creating employment opportunity.

• Additionally, Vocational Coaches, visited companies with the scholarship awardees and helped familiarize them with the enterprise. • The Coaches assumed the role of a bridge between the principals of the vocational high schools, Koç Holding, and awardees to facilitate communication among the partners. 4

Training In Vocational Education Labs

• To ensure a vocational education in tandem with updated technologies, several labs were set up, including 11 Motor Vehicles Labs in 9 provinces by Fiat; 4 Motor Vehicles Labs in 3 provinces by Ford Otosan and 1 Ford Cargo Technical Training Center; 4 Oil- RefineryChemistry Labs in 4 provinces by Tüpraş; 4 Agriculture Machinery Training Labs in 4 provinces by Türk Traktör; and 4 Electrical Home Appliances Labs in 2 provinces by Arçelik. Within the scope of the lab programs, more than 300 teachers attended in-service training. • The labs offer an applied intensive training program for 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students. 5

Collaboration with NGO’s

Competitions

• Upon cooperation with NGO’s, a total of 2.461 scholarship awardees attended environment, entrepreneurship and computer training.

Have an Idea for the Future of Vocational Education Too?” (2011). • The project competitions aimed at equipping vocational high school students with competencies such as self-confidence, responsible citizenship, project development and creative thinking, team work, and entrepreneurship. The top ranking projects, namely, “My School Goes to Authorized Workshop”, and “ Raising 3D CMM and Metallurgical Examination Technicians” were adopted and scaled up by companies within the scope of the school-workplace partnership. • As per 2011-2012, MLMM Project Competitions were kicked off among schools in order to encourage the scaling up and development of school-workplace partnerships. In 2012, the competition hosted 38 vocational high schools that partnered with 100 schools in total. 7

Employment Priority

• Scholarship awardees who get internship and coaching support are brought up to specialize in their chosen professional fields, and have the chance to actually practice this field beyond just selecting a profession.

• Up until now, 140 students have graduated from Ford Laboratories. They provide qualified labor to Ford Otosan by 12% and to other sectoral organizations by 60-70%. 8

Activities to Reinforce Corporate Capacity

• With a view to sustain a high quality of education in the labs, additional curricula are developed to offer training in line with the capacity of the lab facilities. The instructors who will be offering the training attend trainer training based on the developed curriculum. • Companies with internship opportunities expand their facilities to enhance the quality of internship, develop curriculum for internship trainings, and train those trainers whom they have appointed specifically for the internship. • In order to ensure that the students at the vocational high schools enroll in departments that are suitable for the needs of the sector in the region, there are ongoing initiatives with İŞKUR (Turkish Employment Agency), Provincial Board of Employment, and MoE.

• In a questionnaire held with 1463 scholarship awardees who graduated in 2009-10, in response to the question of how they would like to continue their lives upon graduation, 96.8% asserted that they would like to work at Koç Holding. 82.4% continued with graduate studies.

• A total of 4 competitions were held with the participation of 1.118 vocational high school students. • The project competition themes were “I am a Vocational High Schooler, Therefore I Achieve!” (2008), “Creative Ideas for Development” (2009), “Future of Vocational Education, Your Future” (2010), and “Do you

WHAT IS MLMM?

• It is a corporate social responsibility project that strives to contribute to the development of vocational education.

• It is a project that turns to various stakeholders in the field of vocational education simultaneously to communicate the significance of vocational education by way of several sub-projects. • It is a social support project focused on personal development and other opportunities. It is sensitive to gender and regional differences, and it embodies volunteers available to share their financial resources and operational experience with 8000 scholarship awardees. • It acts as a bridge between schools and enterprises in all provinces, with the support of all available Koç companies and 350 volunteer employees.

• It is a practice that results from the schoolworkplace partnership model that Koç Holding supports along with its companies.

WHAT MLMM IS NOT? • It is not merely a scholarship project. • Set out with the goal to transform the vocational education system, it is not just “a drop of water in the flowing river”. • It is not an internal Koç Holding project, which the Holding aims to carry out solely with its own companies. • It is not the first and only practice within the school-workplace matching model. • It is not a brand new practice that is detached from the vocational education legislation of the MoE. • It is not a project that aims to train prospective staff to be employed in the Holding companies.

• It promotes the target of “school-workplace partnership for systematic development of skills”, also stated in Vocational Education Law no. 308. • It strives to contribute to the sectoral and national economy and is open to collaborate with other companies towards that goal. • It is a project that attracts attention to the importance of vocational education and supports and leads the process of raising more qualified labor force, thus setting a role model for other organizations. 54

For questions regarding the Project, please contact the MLMM Team at: Koç Holding A.Ş. Nakkaştepe, Azizbey Sokak No: 1 Kuzguncuk 34674 İstanbul, Turkey (0216) 531 00 00 mlmm@koc.com.tr www.mlmm.com.tr This guide is developed with the support of YADA Foundation.