Vocational Education: What Works And Why? Policy Proposals For School-Business Cooperation

COOPERATION FOR QUALITY IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: WHAT WORKS AND WHY? POLICY PROPOSALS FOR SCHOOL-BUSINESS COOPERATION

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Atatürk Cad. Göl Sok. (İtfaiye karşısı) No: 1 Yenibosna-Bahçelievler / İSTANBUL T 0212 656 49 97 F 0212 656 29 26 December 2012 ISBN 978-605-4348-45-9

COOPERATION FOR QUALITY IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: WHAT WORKS AND WHY? POLICY PROPOSALS FOR SCHOOL-BUSINESS COOPERATION

Vocational Education: A Crucial Matter for the Nation (MLMM) Project was kicked off in 2006 upon the collaboration of Vehbi Koç Foundation, Ministry of National Education and Koç Holding in order to create awareness in all segments of the society regarding the significance of vocational technical education, and to drive this process to sow the seeds of public-private partnerships.

Over time, the project grew to encompass a total of 264 vocational high schools, 8,000 vocational high school students, 20 Koç Group companies of various scales and sectors, and more than 350 employees as volunteers.

The project involved the matching of companies to vocational high schools which provided an educational program in the company’s respective field of activity aiming to promoting 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 vocational high school 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 building bridges between education and business communities by means of conceiving sectoral collaboration between vocational schools and businesses.

The Education Reform Initiative (ERI) focuses its efforts in two priority areas, the first of which is to develop education policies that will ensure the access of all children—boys and girls—to quality education, which is their fundamental right, and to raise Turkey’s economic and social development to higher levels. The other area of focus for ERI is to ensure that education policy processes are participatory, innovative, evidencebased, and transparent.

Established within Sabancı University in 2003, ERI continues its work towards achieving these goals through research, advocacy and training, with the vision of achieving “quality education for all”.

Since 2006, ERI has directed its efforts on restructuring vocational education so as to fulfil young peoples’ potential, meet the requirements of business, and help Turkey make use of its young population to advance in international competitiveness.

ERI is supported by Mother Child Education Foundation, Aydın Doğan Foundation, Bahçeşehir University, Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation, Enerji-Su, Enka Foundation, Hedef Alliance, İstanbul Bilgi University, İstanbul Kültür University, Kadir Has Foundation, Mehmet Zorlu Foundation, MV Holding, Nafi Güral Education Foundation, Sabancı University, The Marmara Hotels and Residences, Association of Private Education Institutions, Vodafone Turkey Foundation, Vehbi Koç Foundation, and Yapı Merkezi.

ABBREVIATIONS EU

European Union

ERI

Educational Reform Initiative

ILO

International Labour Organization

MEB

Ministry of National Education

MLMM Vocational Education: A Crucial Matter for the Nation NAF

National Academy Foundation

NEET Not in Education, Employment or Training OECD

Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development

NGO

Non-Governmental Organization

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 9 BACKGROUND 11 VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION STRATEGY OF TURKEY

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SCHOOL-BUSINESS COOPERATION: MODELS FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND IN TURKEY

17

SUGGESTIONS TO CONSOLIDATE SCHOOL-BUSINESS COOPERATION IN TURKEY

21

CONCLUSION 29 REFERENCES 31

FIGURES FIGURE 1: WORKING AGE POPULATION (15-64) MAINTAINS GROWTH RATE AGAINST GENERAL POPULATION

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FIGURE 2: TURKEY’S DEMOGRAPHIC OPPORTUNITY: RATE OF POPULATION BELOW AGE 25 TO GENERAL POPULATION, 2010-2050 11 FIGURE 3: YOUNG POPULATION AND UNEMPLOYMENT: UNEMPLOYMENT RATES IN TURKEY (%), 2012

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FIGURE 4: RATE AND GENDER DISTRIBUTION OF YOUNG PEOPLE NOT IN EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT OR TRAINING (NONÇ) (%), 2006-2011 13 FIGURE 5: REASONS FOR COMPANIES’ FAILURE TO FILL UP AVAILABLE POSITIONS (%), 2012 15 FIGURE 6: CRITICAL SUCCESS CRITERIA FOR SCHOOL-BUSINESS COOPERATION

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BOXES BOX: NOT IN EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT OR TRAINING RATE (NEET RATE)

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PRESENTATION “What Works and Why? – Policy Proposals for School-Business Cooperation” is a study conducted as part of the “Cooperation for Quality in Vocational Education” project launched

by Koç Holding and Educational Reform Initiative (ERI). On the basis of the experience and results achieved as part of the Vocational Education: A Crucial Matter for the Nation (MLMM) Project underway since 2006, this study examines successful examples of school-business cooperation regarded as one of the most effective methods of success in vocational and technical education in Turkey as a module for a large-scale field study conducted by Koç University.

This study is based on the findings of the field study and aims to offer evaluation and proposals to generalize successful cooperation between skills training institutions in Turkey, the private sector and non-governmental organizations. We have made effort to present the advantages of this cooperation through proposals that will enable young people receiving vocational and technical education acquire the current and basic qualifications they need. We hence aimed at guiding further instances of school-business cooperation to be established in the future with real-life examples identified with methods and implementations.

“What Works, Why Does It Work? Policy Proposals for School-Business Cooperation” was contributed primarily by Koç Holding and ERI teams along with many others. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Batuhan Aydagül, Nihan Köseleci and Işıl Oral from ERI; chiefly Aylin Gezgüç as well as Burcu Gündüz and Seçil Kınay from Koç Holding who have contributed to both the process of the project and the writing of this study; Bayram Akbaş, Serdar Sayan, Ömer Açıkgöz, Necdet Kenar, Meltem Özturan and Emre Görgün who have offered their precious opinions for the Cooperation for Quality in Vocational Education. Last but not least, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Prof. Dr. Zeynep Aycan, Assistant Prof. Dr. Bülent Kılıç, Senior Industrial Psychologist M. Itır Karataylıoğlu, Senior Clinical Psychologist A. Esra Tuncer, Duygu Biricik, E. Gözde İkizer and Nur Soylu from Koç University who have conducted the field study that provides the basis of this work and who have prepared the background report.

This proposal document is complementary to and must be seen as a natural extension of the studies entitled Vocational Skills Acquisition in the Context of Lifelong Learning, Updated Situation Analysis for Vocational and Technical Education, and Strategy Document on Quality in Vocational and Technical Education conducted as part of “Cooperation for Quality in Vocational Education. In this vein, we hope that our study will encourage research on different elements on the agenda of vocational and technical training and will enrich ongoing works and discussions.

Prof. Dr. Üstün Ergüder Director Educational Reform Initiative

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COOPERATION FOR QUALITY IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

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VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: WHAT WORKS AND WHY? POLICY PROPOSALS FOR SCHOOL-BUSINESS COOPERATION

INTRODUCTION Turkey needs to invest more substantially in young people in order to benefit from the development potential of its large young population. Young people need to find a place for themselves in the challenging and highly competitive business world if Turkey is to realize its goal to approach higher-income countries. Within this landscape, the fact that youth unemployment in Turkey is around 16 1 % and that young people have a hard time in their schools acquiring the basic and social skills required by the market is the harbinger of a very serious social threat in the long term. The risk of failure to provide qualified personnel for employers highlights once again the importance of vocational and technical education. It is necessary to restructure vocational and technical education in a way that will help young people realize their potentials, meet the qualified personnel needs of businesses and create an advantage for Turkey that aims to rise in international competition by bringing its young population to the fore. The precondition to success for activities geared towards this aim is that policy makers and researchers lend an ear to and understand the needs of the private sector and that the private sector supports and guides vocational education.

Within this framework, Educational Reform Initiative (ERI) and Koç Holding joined forces in a common perspective to raise the quality of vocational and technical education in Turkey by launching Cooperation for Quality in Vocational Education in Turkey in December 2010. With an eye to developing participatory and data-based policy proposals, the project involved studies that benefited from current literature as well as new research. This cooperation and research were driven by the “Vocational Education: A Crucial Matter for the Nation (MLMM)” Project started in 2006 with the cooperation between Vehbi Koç Foundation, Ministry of National Education and Koç Holding. Within the framework of the “Promotion of VocationalTechnical Education Program” launched in cooperation between Koç Group and Ministry of National Education, the purpose of the project is to support disadvantaged and successful young graduates of secondary education to enter vocational schools that train personnel for industrial, information and service sectors; enhancing their skills by providing internships for them and thereby training qualified technical personnel required in the economy. The project in the meantime aims to raise awareness in the society on the importance of vocational and technical education for Turkish economy and to pioneer activities in this field by spreading the seeds of cooperation between the public sector, schools and the business world as well as encourage young people to partake in vocational education.

As part of the project, companies and vocational high schools offering education in their related fields were matched with the intent of increasing the employability of young people as well as contributing to the training of qualified human resources that businesses require. In time, the matches grew over a vast area with scholarship, internship and voluntary mentorship support to vocational high school students depending on the needs and facilities of schools and businesses; improving the infrastructure and content of education in schools and adapting them to cutting-edge technology with curricular, equipment and laboratory contributions.

The structure that earned the title “School-Business Partnership Model” over time builds bridges between the education and business world with sectoral cooperation developed between vocational high schools and businesses. In fact, a comparison between related legislation and practices in Turkey with good models from other countries demonstrates a similar logic. The seven-year old MLMM project supports both education and employment by providing internship-supported scholarship, priority in employment and mentorship to 8 thousand vocational high school students in 264 schools across 81 provinces in the country.

1

ILO, International Labour Organization (2012, a)

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COOPERATION FOR QUALITY IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

The initiation of the project (2006-2007 academic year) contributed to the higher rate of preference for vocational high schools. It was observed that vocational high schools received a 30% higher rate of applications throughout the 2007-2008 academic year with 20 Koç Group companies of various scales and sectors and more than 350 volunteer employees 2 involved in the project over time.

Koç Holding works on generalizing said model in corporate, sectoral and policy levels as part 3 of the MLMM Project.

Based on their experience with the MLMM Project, ERI and Koç Holding have arrived to the conclusion that research into similar best practices and introducing them across the country to generalize such models would make a significant contribution to cooperation that values “quality” at its core. Hence the field study and report entitled “Vocational Education: What Works and Why?” conducted as part of the “Cooperation for Quality in Vocational Education” project by a research team 4 from Koç University, is one of the most comprehensive academic works on school-business cooperation in Turkey. The purpose of this research is to examine cooperation between formal vocational education institutions (vocational education schools and vocational schools of higher education) with primarily the private sector as well as other public or non-governmental institutions; to identify “successful”5 examples that contribute to raising educational quality; and to determine the common elements among these examples. The research also aims to place itself within the literature that contributes to the generalization of successful models as well as to create a more positive perception of vocational education institutions among society. Two documents have emerged out of the research findings, the first of which is the “Guide for School-Business Cooperation in Vocational Education”6 that lays out steps to take in order to establish similar cooperation inspired by the MLMM. The second document is “What Works and Why? – Policy Proposals for School-Business Cooperation”, in your hands right now.

This study is based on the findings of the field study7 and aims to offer evaluation and proposals to generalize successful cooperation between skills training institutions in Turkey, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations.

The second part of the six-part study focuses on background analyses in vocational education in Turkey; the third part details international models of school-business cooperation; the fourth part gives a summary of the proposed strategy to improve vocational education in Turkey; the fifth part includes suggestions based on the findings of the “What Works and Why?” report and finally, the sixth part includes results of the report.

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2 MLMM Project Social Impact Report 2006-2010 3 Tüpraş, Migros, Tofaş and Ford Otosan have supported the project with laboratories and hew departments they have established in schools. Meanwhile, Tofaş and Ford Otosan aimed at offering employment to middle school, general high school and industrial vocational high school graduates by helping them acquire a profession.

4 This study was prepared by a team, members of which are Prof. Dr. Zeynep Aycan, Assistant Prof. Dr. Bülent Kılıç, Senior Industrial Psychologist M. Itır Karataylıoğlu, Senior Clinical Psychologist A. Esra Tuncer, Duygu Biricik, E. Gözde İkizer and Nur Soylu.

5 This case study examines cooperation models of a total of 57 institutions with 30 vocational high schools and vocational schools of higher education and 27 businesses and institutions, identifying conditions common to successful cooperation examples.

6 To view the guide, log on to the website of Vocational Education: A Crucial Matter for the Nation: http://www.mlmm.com.tr 7 Log onto the website of Educational Reform Initiative (ERI) for the background report on the “Vocational Education: What Works and Why?” research: http://erg.sabanciuniv.edu

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: WHAT WORKS AND WHY? POLICY PROPOSALS FOR SCHOOL-BUSINESS COOPERATION

BACKGROUND Turkey is in a very favorable position considering its proportion of population below age 25 to the general population. The “window of opportunity” (Figure 1), defined as a situation in which working-age population continues its growth rate in demographic terms, offers a chance for Turkey to accelerate its economic development significantly in the 20 years to come.

FIGURE 1: WORKING AGE POPULATION (15-64) RATE OVER OVERALL POPULATION IS GROWİNG 67.5 % 67.17 % 67.0 %

67.00 %

66.89% 66.5 %

67.38 %

66.51 %

66.0 %

Source: Turkish Statistical Institute, Database of Population Records Based on Addresses

The rate of young population reached 44% as of 2010 and with the expected decline in the rate of population growth, it will approximately match the average rate in Europe by 2050, dropping as low as to 28%. (Figure 2) FIGURE 2: TURKEY’S DEMOGRAPHIC WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY: RATE OF THE POPULATION BELOW AGE 25 TO GENERAL POPULATION, 2010-2050 50 % 45 %

44 %

40 % 34 %

35 % 30 %

28 %

26 %

28 %

26 %

25 % 20 % 15 % 10 % 5% 0% 2010

2030 Turkey

2050 Europe

Source: United Nations Population Projections, 2010.

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COOPERATION FOR QUALITY IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

Moreover, the unemployment rate of the working-age young population in Turkey is almost triple of the adult unemployment rate, amounting to nearly 20%. (Figure 3) In an environment where young people cannot successfully transit from school to work and in the failure to create jobs in the business world that correspond to the skills and experiences of young people, this rate points out to a grave social threat.

FIGURE 3: YOUNG POPULATION AND UNEMPLOYMENT: UNEMPLOYMENT RATES IN TURKEY (%), 2012 20 % 16.1 % 15 %

10 % 6.1 % 5%

0% Young population (15-24)

Adult population (25-64)

Source: International Labour Organization, 2012a N.B.: Data is from the 2nd quarter of 2012.

Additionally, Eurostat data from 2011 reveal that nearly 30% of the working-age young population (between ages 15-24) is not in education, employment or training (NEET) (Figure 4a). Although this rate in 2011 is comparatively lower than earlier years, it exceeds the European Union rate more than twofold. NEET rate poses a very critical problem for especially young women with a rate beyond 40% (Figure 4b). See Box 1 for more information on the rate of those not in education, employment or training.

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VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: WHAT WORKS AND WHY? POLICY PROPOSALS FOR SCHOOL-BUSINESS COOPERATION

FIGURE 4: RATE OF YOUNG PEOPLE NOT IN EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT OR TRAINING (NEET) AND GENDER DISTRIBUTION (%), 2006-2011

a. Rate of young people not in education, employment or training to working population 45 39.2

38.6

37.0

34.9

35

32.3 29.6

25

15

11.7

10.9

12.9

12.8

12.4

10.9

5

Turkey

EU-27

b. Gender distribution of young people (aged 15-24) not in education, employment or training 60 54.0

53.6

51.0

50

47.3

44.4

41.5

40

30 22.7

23.7

22.4

22.0

20

19.6

17.1

10

0 Female

Male

Source: Eurostat, 2012.

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COOPERATION FOR QUALITY IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

BOX 1: RATE OF THOSE NOT IN EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT OR TRAINING (NEET)

NEET rate is used to define young people who do not study, work or receive any training, demonstrating the percentage of young people (aged 15-24) with no ties to work or education life. The numerator of this indicator is made up of people who do not work (unemployed or falls under the ‘inactive’7 definition of International Labour Organization), and have not been to school or received any training over the course of four weeks up to the date of the survey. The denominator meanwhile represents the total population of the same age group and gender. In other words, NEET rate consists of people who are unemployed, inactive with no hopes of finding a job.

This rate gains significance in the measurement of the relationship between the business world and the young population as young people who belong to this group are under the risk of exclusion from the labour force as well as social exclusion. Although this situation is regarded as more transitory compared to what adults experience, a certain percentage of population in European countries such as Spain, Italy, Turkey and Greece remain NEET for long periods of time. In the five years that followed 1997, this rate was 30% in Italy and around 20% in Greece. According to the “Global Employment Trends for Youth 2012” report by International Labour Organization, there are more than 6 million people in the world with a NEET status. (International Labour Organization, 2012b.)

These figures refer to the fact that NEET is an important indicator. However, there are other factors that need to be taken into consideration. Some unemployed people who do not study either may belong to the NEET group for personal reasons (ex. travel, desire to have free time or taking some time off school) or for non-economic reasons (ex. military service).

Source: Eurostat, ILO, OECD

In addition to the employment problems of the young population, employers in Turkey underscore the difficulties they face in filling available positions. The reasons thereof are examined in the seventh Talent Shortage Survey9 conducted by Manpower Group in 2012.

The survey indicates that 41% of employers in Turkey experiences difficulties in recruitment.

On a global level, approximately one fourth of employers (24%) refer to a general lack of experience as justification for the talent shortage they face. This rate is 43% in Turkey with 27% of employers stating lack of social skills as a problematic issue in recruitment process.

Significant reasons include lack of skills specific to the industry and lack of basic technical skills, amounting to approximately 10% (Figure 5). The absence of a systematic and fruitful relationship between vocational and technical education institutions and the related sector is one of the most fundamental reasons behind this problem.

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8 ‘Inactive population’ refers to the unemployed population that does not seek a job.

9 The seventh Talent Shortage Survey conducted in 2012 by Manpower Group, which carries out some of the most comprehensive surveys in the area of labour force solutions, was carried out with telephone interviews with 38.077 employers in 41 countries and regions. The research demonstrates which positions employers from leading economies of the world have hard time filling up and to what extent, which professions are the most difficult to find talented workers in and the reasons thereof, the concerns related to stakeholder effect and the strategies that employees adopt in order to overcome the problem of talent shortage. The research encompasses all business lines.

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: WHAT WORKS AND WHY? POLICY PROPOSALS FOR SCHOOL-BUSINESS COOPERATION

FIGURE 5: REASONS WHY COMPANIES FACE DIFFICULTIES IN FILLING AVAILABLE POSITIONS (%), 2012

43 Lack of experience

27 Social (soft) skills

11 Lack of skills specific to the industry 10 Lack of basic technical skills

Turkey

Europe, Middle East and Africa

World

Source: Manpower Group, 2012.

In order for Turkey to benefit from the so called window of opportunity, it needs to approximate, as much as possible, the skills young people acquire through education to the skills required by the business world. This entails a revision of both policies and implementations. Necessary steps should be taken towards incorporating working-age individuals into the labour force while developing policies to enable this population expected to enter the labour force acquire the skills required of them to find a job in the labour markets.

VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION STRATEGY OF TURKEY It is necessary to restructure vocational and technical education in a way that will help young people acquire the skills that businesses need. Numerous studies conducted on vocational education underscore the critical importance that school-business cooperation carries in this restructuration. What is crucial for Turkey is to adopt a vocational education strategy that would illuminate the way for this renewal and concordantly, search and implement solutions that would enhance vocational education both in terms of efficiency and reputation such as school-business cooperation.

Within this framework, the “Strategy Document on Quality in Vocational and Technical Education” (ERI, 2012) prepared by the Educational Reform Initiative, should be considered as one of the said guiding documents. The aim of this document is to establish a strategy as part of the project entitled “Cooperation for Quality in Vocational Education” in an effort to improve the quality for vocational and technical education based on all research and information notes as well as articles and reports issued by other stakeholders. This document aims at contributing to the development of formal and non-formal educational structures with data-based, acceptable, applicable and sustainable policy proposals so that individuals are able to acquire skills and competencies required by the labour market which simultaneously supports lifelong learning.

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COOPERATION FOR QUALITY IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

Four basic goals have been set forth in this document with various proposals made to the public, private and civil society representatives (foundations, associations, labour unions and vocational institutions). Following are these four goals:

Ensuring that all secondary education students acquire basic skills Most vocational and technical education institutions in Turkey are a part of the secondary education system. Young people who complete eight years of primary education start secondary education in either general high schools or vocational and technical high schools.

Following are the proposals to equip all young people at secondary education level with strong skills and competencies and to diminish marked curricular differences between general and vocational education.

• Regulation of vocational and technical secondary education curricula in a way that would develop the basic skills of students • Enabling students in schools that lay greater emphasis on academic education to have the chance to take vocational and technical courses in various fields • Offering practical experience opportunities to all secondary education students

Development of the quality of vocational and technical education Turkey aims at establishing vocational and technical education with such quality that it contributes to enabling individuals to realize their potentials; to meet the qualified personnel needs of agricultural, industrial and service sectors and to increase the competitiveness of the country. Following proposals are given in order to reach this goal: • Reformation of educational programs and establishing a connection between “education-profession-certification” • Improvement of the qualifications of teachers and administrators • Strengthening guidance and career counseling services • Improvement of educational environments • Consolidation of school-business cooperation and higher effectiveness and efficiency in skills education and internship processes

Establishment and strengthening of support mechanisms for vocational and technical education system It is highly difficult to attain the desired results in vocational and technical education with amendments solely in educational institutions and/ or curricula. Certain support mechanisms should be established outside the education system especially for labour markets with particular emphasis to consolidate “interaction” between vocational and technical education and labour markets. These mechanisms encompass activities for qualification frameworks; effective measurement, assessment and certification systems as well as monitoring-evaluation of vocational and technical education programs. The “Strategy Document on Quality Vocational and Technical Education” proposes two policies in order to develop these support systems: • Foundation of National Vocational Qualification System and to ensure its quality, sustainability and up-to-dateness • Improvement of statistical data on vocational and technical education and labour markets and to establish an effective monitoring-evaluation mechanism 16

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: WHAT WORKS AND WHY? POLICY PROPOSALS FOR SCHOOL-BUSINESS COOPERATION

Improvement of the social status of vocational and technical education Vocational and technical education insitutions are usually regarded as indicators of a lower social status; and have poor reputations worldwide and in our country. General (academic) education is held in higher regard than vocational and technical education with students and/ or families considering vocational and technical education institutions as a last resort. Turning vocational and technical education into attractive options will be possible if students and families believe that vocational education will translate into income and social status for individuals. To increase the status of vocational education in an effort to bring vocational and technical education to a more appealing level for students and their families is a constant priority on the Turkish agenda. Three main policy proposals are made to this end: • Providing students with horizontal and vertical mobility opportunities • Diversification of lifelong learning options following the completion of compulsory education • Supporting vocational and technical education with communication and information campaigns.

Treatment and implementation of these strategy proposals as a whole will yield the most positive results for Turkey. Another crucial point here is that the business world as well as the education world should shape and embrace together the most appropriate proposals for their sectors based on scientific analysis of concrete data and towards Turkey’s potential.

Alongside the strategy outlined above, one of the most effective methods to employment as part of vocational education is to boost cooperation between schools and businesses.

A well-designed school-business cooperation essentially considers the needs of all the stakeholders in the relationship between education and employment, fosters interaction between parties and renders implementation more effective on the basis of mutual benefits. This policy note will emphasize success factors in school-business cooperation and therefore it will be helpful to go through important examples of this implementation for the sake of discussing the current situation in Turkey.

SCHOOL-BUSINESS COOPERATION: EXAMPLES FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND TURKEY The global outlook reveals one major problem in labour markets: The absence of a sufficient number of qualified personnel for the related sector, a problem experienced in Turkey as well. Consequently, it will be increasingly important in the coming terms for many countries to develop a cooperation approach that coordinates vocational and technical education programs and implementations with the needs of businesses in the related sector. Within this framework, school-business cooperation is established in various systems and forms in different countries. The “good examples” among them manifest how labour force quality contributes significantly to tallying needs with supplies.

School-business cooperation: International examples National Academy Foundation in the USA which is a civil society organization supported by industrial institutions has played a major role in employers offering employment to vocational education students and has guided employers in how students and teachers can improve themselves in the business world. In turn, businesses have contributed to

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COOPERATION FOR QUALITY IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

cooperation by providing material support and internship opportunities to students as well as assisting local teachers and educational administrations on the development of curriculum.

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A survey was conducted by NAF with the participation of 192 businesses in an effort to find out the characteristics of businesses supporting cooperation, their contribution to local education and the encouraging or discouraging factors in their cooperation. A large majority of participating institutions have offered internship to students both in their own companies and affiliates; organized career days, company visits and workplace observation for students and provided schools with direct financial support, advice on curriculum development and program design. Companies have also offered senior high school students paid summer internships, seminars on curriculum vitae writing and training on business interviews. Students not only develop their employment skills but also seize the chance to get to know up-close the company and the sector it operates in. It has been observed that some of these summer interns have continued to work in the same company after the internship. Another finding indicates that employers laid great emphasis especially on cooperation for internship and have increased not only their internship quotas but also the hourly payments given to students from 5.15 dollars to 6.75.

The findings reveal that companies examined in the survey have showed a tendency to continue to work with educational institutions following the first instance of cooperation, even if they have experienced a few small problems in the process. The main challenge the companies faced has not been in maintaining cooperation but rather in taking the first steps and being convinced that cooperation would benefit them as well.

Vocational education in the province of Alberta in Canada has been modified according to the changing needs and demands of the industry. Lehmann and Taylor (2003) have examined how employers’ contribution to the development of curriculum, adoption of a competency-based modular approach in education and how critical skills of inquiry-based thinking, lifelong learning and communication skills affected vocational education that would influence the employability of a student transitioning from school to work. Public officials, educators, employers and labour union representatives who are stakeholders in transition from school to work have been interviewed for data. Vocational education students in Canada start apprenticeship/ internship training in their third year at high school. Students need to find an employer on their own, earn minimum wage when they start working and continue to work part-time until they graduate from high school.

Non-governmental organizations cooperating with students, teachers and employers are important stakeholders contributing to the development of apprenticeship training.

The survey indicates that as a result of companies’ desire to establish cooperation with educational institutions, young people undergo a process of corporate socialization and adopt the values of the company they work for, such as teamwork and working discipline.

(Lehmann and Taylor, 2003) London, the British capital, is the city with the highest rate of unemployment in the country with apprenticeship training been rarely given until very recently. London’s economy relies on the service sector with low employment rates in the manufacturing sector which is normally subsidized by apprenticeship programs. During the last two government terms, London has attempted to change this situation by developing apprenticeship programs that better catered to the needs of the market. Employers have started to lead the skills development system with funds channeled into apprenticeship programs supported by employers and which improve the skills of individuals. The Mayor’s Apprenticeship Campaign was launched in London for such training courses in an effort to increase the number of 18

10 Hughes et al.

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: WHAT WORKS AND WHY? POLICY PROPOSALS FOR SCHOOL-BUSINESS COOPERATION

apprenticeship trainings in upper secondary education, offering training courses in nontraditional (ex. finance) industries, and to incorporate players outside the public sector into the process. As a result of the campaign, the number of apprenticeship programs in London doubled in the course of a year. (20,000 apprenticeship programs were in place during the 2009-2010 term which rose to nearly 40,000 in the 2010-2011). The fear of quality loss with this growth in number was overall absent in actual terms. The growth rate of completion of apprenticeship training courses from one thirds to two thirds point out the success of the programs.11 In Morocco, exclusive training programs for the private sector are carried out to encourage the employment of newly graduates with companies supporting such programs provided with funds by the state. The system designed by the Ministry of Education is buttressed by tax benefits as well. Companies that set up training centers within their businesses are entitled to 20% reduction in income tax and 15% in corporate tax. Since 1996, the public and private sector has been working together to identify the skills needed in the market and find suitable strategies to cover those needs. As a result, the first apprenticeship centers within companies were set up in 2004 in textile and hospitality industries with the number of centers rising to 150 by 2012. The first impact assessment studies on this program reveal that companies that offer training courses to its employees as well as students have achieved considerable efficiency growth.12 Similar apprenticeship programs are in place in Germany and Austria as well, the top two countries that consider theoretical and practical education as complementary elements in vocational and technical skills acquisition. In line with this approach, students work in businesses to learn the applied dimensions of the profession and go to school on certain days of the week for theoretical learning. Following full-time primary and compulsory education in Germany, nearly 60% of young people who want to continue their education start the double vocational education system to acquire vocational and technical skills. Theoretical knowledge in the relevant specialty offered in vocational schools is applied in physical conditions in businesses (OECD, 2010).

Double vocational education programs last between 2 and 3.5 years in which every student signs a training contract with a business13 which specifies the purpose and duration of training as well as the payment 14 to be made to the student and the responsibilities of parties. Following the signing of the contract, young people are admitted to the business15 where they receive training for 3 to 3.5 days a week, and go to public vocational schools for 1 to 1.5 days. The education is completed with an exit examination16 and those who pass the examination are awarded a qualified worker certificate (OECD, 2010).

The financial costs for this cooperation between the public and the private sector are shared by two players. Thanks to the right to participate in vocational education advisory boards enshrined in law, labour and employers’ unions have a great voice in determining the content of vocational education and the implementation of educational programs. Educational programs therefore are able to respond to both the demands of the labour market and offer young people the chance to develop their vocational and technical skills (KÜseleci, 2012).

Austria has a structure similar to the double vocational education system in Germany (OECD). Students aged between fourteen and fifteen who complete the nine-year 11 12 13 14

For more information on the program, see Evans (2012) OECD (2012b) Chambers and vocational institutions are responsible for supervising and implementing training contracts.

Businesses pay students by calculating the costs of the vocational and technical education to be given to them. This payment rises every year. On average, it corresponds to approximately one thirds of an educated employee.

15 Aside from businesses, chambers and vocational institutions also offer training in certain professional fields.

16 These examinations organized by chambers and vocational institutions are carried out on the same day in Germany.

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compulsory education first go to a preliminary vocational school (Polytechnische Schule).

This one-year education prepares students for work life by reinforcing general education, introducing professions and establishing a basis for vocational knowledge. Courses for the establishment of vocational knowledge and skills are offered in various professional fields (metal, electricity, wood, construction, commerce-offices, services sector, tourism etc.).

These fields are related to important professional fields in the Austrian economy and offer basic competencies, skills and knowledge to students in these fields (Köseleci, 2012).

The apprenticeship training followed by this stage is given both in businesses (with nearly 80% of the term of study dedicated to applied education) and in vocational schools.

Apprenticeship training lasts between two to four years depending on the profession but is mostly a three-year training. At the end of the training, students enter the apprenticeship training exit examination organized by an exam commission made up of related stakeholders in the vocational education. Approximately 40% of young people aged between 15 and 19 in Austria receive apprenticeship training. Following the training, 40 to 45% of apprentices continue working in businesses they have been trained in (Köseleci, 2012).

In the educational systems of these countries17 it is highly important for individuals to improve their competencies by complementing and supporting their theoretical knowledge with applied skills in order to acquire vocational and technical skills. Applied learning opportunities give students the chance to observe the work environment in the private sector and non-governmental organizations in person and to contribute to the production process.

Research shows that almost all companies examined provide internship opportunities for students; organizing career days, company visits, workplace observation activities; offering direct financial support and advice on curriculum development or program design for schools which play a significant role in the success of school-business cooperation in these countries.

There are very few examples of school-business cooperation in Turkey. An overview of successful models recently implemented will make a worthwhile contribution to explore the success factors, observe what has been done in the area so far as well as pave the way for possible implementations in the future.

School-business cooperation: A case study from Turkey One of the most comprehensive data-based studies conducted on school-business cooperation in Turkey is the field study and report entitled “Vocational Education: What Works and Why?” carried out as part of the “Cooperation for Quality in Vocational Education” (Aycan et al., 2012). This case study examines cooperation models of a total of 57 institutions with 30 vocational high schools and vocational schools of higher education and 27 businesses and institutions.

At first, area sampling method was employed to determine schools. (Sekaran, 2000). Area sampling in research refers to the determination of the sample in view of the geographical regions of Turkey and the industrialized cities in these regions. In keeping with the purpose of the research, judgment sampling method was used alongside area sampling. Judgment sampling refers to the incorporation of participants in the sampling that would provide the desired information in the best possible way (Sekaran, 2000).

Schools included in the research were selected among those with a deep-rooted and widely known history and which have asserted their success in the region, constantly overhauling 20

17 For a more comprehensive review of international examples on this topic, see Aycan et al. 2012

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their facilities and equipment and are experienced in cooperation with businesses and.

Based on these criteria, vocational high schools and vocational schools of higher education in Adana, Ankara, Bursa, Gaziantep, İstanbul, Kayseri, Kocaeli, Manisa and Samsun have been included in the research, in view of the representativeness of geographical regions. Also taken into consideration was the diversity of vocational high schools and vocational schools of higher education. The sampling included technical high schools and industrial vocational schools, trade vocational schools, girls’ technical and vocational high school, vocational schools of health, private industrial vocational schools, public vocational schools of higher education and private vocational schools of higher education. In 27% of the schools included the sample, interviews were made with school principals, head assistants of principals in 33% of the schools, coordinating assistant principals responsible for business cooperation in 30% of the schools and with field chiefs in 10% of the schools.

The second sampling group of the research is made up of a total of 27 companies and institutions that the visited schools cooperate with. In 66% of the institutions included in the sample, interviews were made with human resources and education officials coordinating cooperation with schools and with company owners and managers in the remaining 34%.

There have been cases in which other officials equipped with knowledge and experience in the subject were present during interviews.

The findings of the research are classified as critical success factors. These factors may be regarded as the common aspects in schools and companies that have attained successful cooperation. Propositions on how to strengthen school-business cooperation based on these success factors will be presented in the remaining part of this report. The aim is to guide possible future cooperation with methods and implementations identified in real-life examples.

PROPOSITIONS TO STRENGTHEN SCHOOLBUSINESS COOPERATION IN TURKEY Successful examples of school-business cooperation in the research are defined as follows: “Cooperation that is multi-dimensional (ex. scholarship, internship, mentorship) and sustainable (long-term and able to turn into employment), which combines theory and practice in training students to meet the labour needs of the country and the sector in the best way, contributes to the personal growth of students alongside vocational education, and creates value for all stakeholders (ex. school, company, society).”

From the point of view of schools, it has been observed that the prominent factors for success were the use of personal relationships in establishing and maintaining cooperation, effective management of the internship process, the properties of the school (level of recognition, location, educational field, quality of students and teachers), leadership demonstrated by the school administrator and other members of the administrative team, motivation and reward activities.

From the point of view of businesses and institutions, following factors have been observed: Careful selection of school and student for cooperation, strategic and effective internship planning; close follow-up of the internship and performance-building activities, motivation for cooperation in companies and employees responsible for interns; cooperation with schools and internships resulting in employment and providing multidimensional support for schools.

The scheme that demonstrates these critical success factors is given below: 21

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FIGURE 6: CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS FOR SCHOOL-BUSINESS COOPERATION Critical Success Factors for Schools 1. Mutual benefits model for the formulation of cooperation

Critical Success Factors for Companies Intermediary Role played by the NGOs in the sector

1. Considering cooperation with schools as part of the “mutual benefits” model

2. Use of personal relationships to establish and maintain cooperation

2. Supporting schools on multidimensional levels

3. Leadership demonstrated by the principal and the administrative team

3. Careful selection of schools and students to cooperate with

4. Assets of the school: Level of recognition, field of education, quality of student and teacher 5. Effective management of the internship process: Planning, selection and matching students and companies, following up students 6. Motivation and rewarding activities

Successful School/Business Cooperations

4. Strategic and effective internship planning 5. High motivation for cooperation by companies and their employees responsible for interns 6. Close follow-up of the internship and performance-boostling activities 7. Cooperation and internship with schools resulting in employment

Source: Aycan et al., 2012.

As a result of the research entitled “What Works and Why?, a certain number of propositions have been offered based on the critical success factors in school-business cooperation outlined above. Some of these propositions have been presented separately for schools and companies with highlights on the joint steps schools and companies need to take.

Propositions for schools School-business collaborations pave the way for better education for students as well as increased investments in schools. Schools can support this process in two ways: either by contributing to in-service training for employees in the company, or by supporting its services and production processes. Certain schools prepare training courses designed specifically for the needs of a company, offering MEB-approved certificate programs to the employees of the enterprise. Meanwhile, revolving funds allow schools to contract their own workshops out to outsourcing industrial enterprises, and receive support for students in return. In this context, schools are advised to establish an economic enterprise in order to enhance such collaborations.

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In the broadest sense, the contribution of schools to enterprises reveals itself in how future members of the labour force are trained according to the needs of the times and the relevant profession. For both personal and professional development, the set of qualifications offered by schools within formal education may gather into a far more diverse, meaningful and goal-oriented whole with the support of enterprises. The field study report (Aycan et al., 2012) categorizes such collaborations into several groups, based on the success of schools in establishing the cooperation. Accordingly, in order to engage in successful cooperation with the companies and institutions in their respective sector, schools need to consider and take the steps outlined below:

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: WHAT WORKS AND WHY? POLICY PROPOSALS FOR SCHOOL-BUSINESS COOPERATION

Formulating a win-win approach for the school and the enterprise In order to establish and maintain any form cooperation between schools and enterprises operating in the relevant sector, the cooperation must benefit both sides with a win-win approach to help increase commitment. An examination of the schools within the study has revealed that, schools often aim to create benefit for enterprises by offering training courses, and by reflecting the needs of the company or its industry in their curricula.

The leading factor in a strong and sustainable cooperation between schools and enterprises is mutual benefit and understanding. In a mutually beneficial cooperation, contribution to schools, and to the training of interns in particular, are regarded as long-term investments in the future of the company and the sector in general, with companies considering such collaborations as part of their social responsibility efforts, and occasionally, as part of their PR activities. As such, any successful cooperation must aim for mutual benefit from its very inception.

Utilizing personal relationships and incorporating them with protocols while establishing and maintaining cooperation A tried and true method for building and maintaining cooperation with enterprises is to seek the support of the school’s alumni. This method requires good and continued relationships between the school and its alumni. Alumni with professional achievements also serve as role models and source of motivation for students. Similarly, business relationships built on ‘personal relationships’ form a significant portion of schools-enterprise collaborations. The majority of schools interview in the study do not consider this method sustainable, due to concerns of the cooperation ending prematurely when the school representatives with good relationships with the enterprise cease their involvement. Consequently, such collaborations must be managed in an institutionalized manner. Mutual benefits and responsibilities must be defined with protocols, and the system must take on an institutionalized structure based on mutual benefit, instead of ‘favors and courtesy’.

Acknowledging the leadership role of school administrators and senior executives, and improving their teamwork skills Leaders are among the most crucial factors in an institution’s success. Consequently, in successful school-enterprise cooperation, the structure and vision of the leaders of both parties play a significant role. Studies demonstrate the importance of school principals and assistant principals with strategic thinking skills and industrial experience. Interviews with schools have revealed certain leadership qualities that prove effective in creating successful cooperation, which are listed below. These qualities are gathered from evaluations based on the statements of principals and assistant principals themselves.

Leadership qualities such as (i) maintaining strong relationships, (ii) motivating the team and teachers, (iii) goal and results-oriented approach and vision, (iv) administrative experience and (v) thinking outside the box should be encouraged in school administrators, who should also be offered professional development opportunities on a sustainable basis, with a focus on supporting the pre-professional education of school administrators with in-service training.

In-service training designed for this goal in mind should be made compulsory by Ministry of National Education for principals and assistant principals of vocational education institutions. These training courses should cover topics such as leadership-mentorship, communication, public relations, motivation techniques, negotiation-settlement and goalbased management. In addition, exemplary vocational education institutions should serve as leaders and mentors for other schools, with senior administrators and teachers of these

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schools sharing their knowledge and experience on establishing and developing cooperation through physical and online meetings held annually, thus ensuring long-term sustainability of institutional and inter-institutional leadership. Emphasis should be laid on the leadership of the senior management with activities aimed at developing their teamwork skills.

Prioritizing all activities aimed at improving school recognition with a focus on teacher quality, developing curricula in line with the needs of the industry, and enhancing student quality The quality and motivation of a school’s teachers are among the qualities that must be improved. Ideally, the focus group of motivation and professional development efforts should be dynamic and professional teachers who value teamwork, with a background in industry and experience in establishing cooperation. Additionally, in-service training for teachers should include communication and student mentorship, and teachers who establish and maintain successful collaborations should be offered awards and incentives.

Furthermore, teachers should be offered continuous opportunities to improve their technical experience, and supported with technical training courses whenever possible. Additionally, the groundwork should be laid for teachers to spend time in the enterprises within their respective industry to gain experience and develop their skills.

It has been observed that schools in successful cooperation with enterprises have higher student quality, leading to collaboration opportunities with larger and institutionalized enterprises. Although student quality of a school is commonly associated with the minimum base point required to enroll, schools are actually capable of increasing their own student quality. Successful examples from schools reveal a strong emphasis on the development of general knowledge and foreign skills of students. The curricula might be expanded to include additional applied courses or seminars aimed at personal development to improve student quality. Students can be offered the opportunity to put their academic knowledge into practice with personal development seminars and practical projects on subjects ranging from self-awareness and goal setting, communication, teamwork, time management, and stress management.

It has been revealed that, schools with successful and lasting collaborations with industry show a great deal of integration, both physically and in terms of curricula. Such schools are located close to industrial zones, providing easy access to school for students and teachers.

Proximity also allows frequent visits between schools and enterprises. Another proposition based on these finding is to have Provincial Institutions of Employment and Vocational Education review schools with no collaboration opportunities in their vicinity, and to restructure them accordingly.

Planning and effective management of internships, student-enterprise matching, and close follow-up of intern performances One of major contributions offered by enterprises in their collaboration with schools is in recruitment and training of interns. Successful management of the internship process is key to stronger and sustainable school-enterprise cooperation. For this reason, efficient planning and management of the internship process, accurate matching of students with enterprises, and adequate follow-up and feedback of intern and qualified instructor performance are essential to ensure the quality and sustainability of the cooperation.

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In this context, it is both significant and necessary for schools to organize orientation programs prior to internships, providing the students with information about important aspects of master-apprentice relationships, written and verbal communication, resume preparation, job interview methods, personal hygiene, dress code and body language, and

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: WHAT WORKS AND WHY? POLICY PROPOSALS FOR SCHOOL-BUSINESS COOPERATION

work ethics. On the enterprise side, qualified instructors or employees responsible for interns should receive training and mentorship on the development of students. Important aspects of communicating with students, fundamentals of career and life coaching, and alternative approaches for different learning styles are important tools under an educator’s belt that would both make the process more straightforward, and increase the benefit to the student.

Another significant component of successful collaborations is frequent teacher visits to the intern at the enterprise. Examples of successful cooperation draw attention to the fact that teachers are the primary actors building the bridge between school and enterprise, and the process should be managed accordingly. For instance, it would be beneficial for schools to follow up the process of teachers following up on students, with rewards and incentives for successful teacher performance.

Recognizing and rewarding mutually beneficial collaborations and their lead actors (including students) Increasing the visibility of and rewarding successful practices are important for improving the popularity of new collaborations and sustained development of existing ones. To this end, rewarding students who distinguish themselves in school-enterprise partnerships, promoting successful alumni as role models for students, and recognizing enterprises with certificates of merit or appreciation are but a few methods to enhance such partnership.

Propositions for companies The leading factor in a strong and sustainable cooperation between schools and enterprises is mutual benefit and understanding. In a mutually beneficial cooperation, contribution to schools, and to the training of interns in particular, are regarded as long-term investments in the future of the company and the sector in general, with companies considering such collaborations as part of their social responsibility efforts. So long as these collaborations are based on mutual benefit, recognition of the participating enterprises will pave the way for others.

According to the field study, companies need to take heed of following elements in their implementations for successful cooperation:

Cooperation with schools within a “mutual benefits” model For school-enterprise cooperation to succeed, the enterprise must embrace the idea that such partnerships create benefit for the enterprise and the industry as well as the school, and accordingly, provide its support by providing scholarship and mentorship opportunities in addition to internship, participating in curricula development, and building new school facilities and laboratories. Continuous and consistent support will also serve as a motivation for the school.

Accurate selection of partner school to ensure a mutually efficient cooperation For a successful and sustainable cooperation, accurate selection of school and students is essential, with particular focus on mutual benefit during the planning phase. The criteria to follow in school selection include the school’s proximity to the enterprise or to the industrial zone, and its involvement with students. On the other hand, student selection criteria should focus on their compatibility with the company culture, motivation, level of technical expertise as revealed by examinations, personality inventory, interview performance, communication skills, discipline in attendance, aptitude, and suitability for the job.

Consideration of these indicators will yield more efficient results during school selection.

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Strategic and effective internship planning Various factors play a role in the efficiency of the internship planning. These include candidate selection by the intern supervisor of the company based on the company’s annual internship plan, recognition of the internship through a contract signed between the company and the intern, a comprehensive orientation program, and the company’s ability to offer work experience in various departments under supervision of qualified instructors.

Qualified instructors should be selected from among employees experienced in intern supervision, preferably vocational high school graduates themselves.

Close follow-up of the internship and efforts towards boosting performance One of the most important factors in successful cooperation with schools reveals itself in the close follow-up of student performance and sustained efforts to improve their performance. It has been found out that students monitored for their performance and provided development opportunities accordingly were more likely to be recruited by the company as full-time employees, which further bolsters school-enterprise cooperation.

Effective performance monitoring methods include establishing an official feedback system for student performance, terminating the internship of students with unsatisfactory performance or giving them simpler tasks, and assigning more responsibility to wellperforming students. As such, enterprises should systematically follow-up on internship processes, while also focusing on efforts to monitor and increase performance.

Motivating enterprises and internship supervisors for better cooperation Incentives for an enterprise to continue supporting schools and interns are one of the factors that increase the likelihood of successful school-enterprise cooperation. Based on data gathered from examples of successful partnerships, such incentives include invitation to the graduation day ceremonies and certificates of appreciation for the enterprise, tolerance shown by the enterprise’s management towards employees responsible for interns, with an understanding that the time allocated for intern development is part of the job, and is handled by employees who volunteered for this task, instead of being appointed by the enterprise.

Translating school-enterprise cooperation and internships into recruitment One indicator of sustainable school-enterprise cooperation is the employability of graduates in the enterprise, or in the industry in general. Labour force participation rate of interns is the most tangible and significant output of the collaboration between companies and vocational education institutions. The goal of vocational education is to provide an individual with skills necessary to practice a profession, which is fulfilled when interns are given priority in, or opportunity for recruitment.

Companies that form the research’s sample group have an average intern recruitment rate of 25%, but it is highly likely that this rate is due to sampling method used in the study, which is based on successful examples. Additionally, students opt to receive a university degree before seeking employment. However, vocational education graduates should be encouraged to practice their profession as soon as possible. In order to achieve this goal, well-performing graduates must be offered comparatively higher wages and chances of promotion.

Another practice that might yield positive results is to include interns in the enterprise’s candidate pool, which allows the enterprise to follow-up on former interns who are not employed straight away.

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Providing multi-dimensional support for schools Multi-dimensional support by enterprises is another factor that strengthens cooperation between enterprises and schools. The scope of this support might cover technical training for teachers to update their knowledge on industry developments as well as new technologies, daily allowances and travel grants to facilitate participation in such training activities, support for curricula development, and professional advice for schools regarding new departments or expanding the curricula of existing departments depending on the needs of the sector.

Moreover, by providing materials, tools and technical equipment and setting up workshops and laboratories to develop the physical environment of the school, the enterprise can reduce time spent on intern training and increase efficiency. On the other hand, personal development, manners and etiquette training offered to students can be complemented with trainings and seminars by company executives aiming to introduce the industry to the students.

Through the 12-month specialization programs offered by certain enterprises, vocational school graduates with academic education but lack of practical experience are able to develop their skills while at the same time practicing their profession.

Finally, as a specific example, certain companies have established their own education foundations, which provide vocational training to both vocational education students and unemployed young people. Fully-fledged vocational schools in their own right with facilities such as classrooms, laboratories and libraries; these institutions offer academic education based on vocational school curricula in addition to practical training in a factory setting. Based on the findings of the report, it is evident that this is an example of the “best practices” in the industry, and should be duly encouraged.

Enterprises should be encouraged to consider cooperation with vocational schools as investments in themselves and their industry; and frequent meetings and social events should be held to bring together schools and players in the industry. These events will enable schools and companies to better identify each other’s needs and take the first step towards cooperation, while the responsibility of organizing and financing such meetings should rest with the leading NGOs of the sector (The Exporters’ Association, Retailers’ Association, etc.). Enterprises should encourage schools to participate in promotional activities such as education fairs and project competitions, thereby increasing their visibility for other schools and companies. Additionally the school might include advertisements and interviews of the enterprise in its school magazine and open stands in industrial fairs, while introducing itself and its students in the enterprise’s periodicals or bulletins. Therefore, the school will transform into a bona fide talent pool for the enterprise, who, by investing in this pool, would contribute not only to the quality of vocational education, and to the development of its future customers and employees as well.

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CONCLUSION The “demographic window of opportunity” created by the large number of young population of Turkey offers a considerable advantage for the economic development of the country. One of the most effective methods to benefit from this structure is to pave the way for students receiving vocational skills education in Turkey to be employed in jobs that correspond to the departments they study in and which will allow them to demonstrate their real potential. This document gives an overview of school-business cooperation regarded as a means to achieve that goal. Propositions are offered based on cooperation examples which contribute to the quality and effectiveness of vocational and technical education that enables young people to acquire updated and basic qualifications that businesses require.

In many parts of the world, school-business cooperation enables close relationship between vocational education and employment and is therefore an important tool contributing to a quality education offered to young people. In Turkey as well, there are successful examples of school-business cooperation that “are multidimensional (ex. scholarship, internship opportunities, mentorship), sustainable (long-term and results in employment), combine theory and practice to train students that meet best the personnel needs of the country and the sector, contribute to the personal growth of students alongside their vocational education and create value for all stakeholders (etc. school, company, society).”

From the point of view of schools, it has been observed that the prominent factors for success were the use of personal relationships in establishing and maintaining cooperation, effective management of the internship process, the properties of the school (level of recognition, location, educational field, quality of students and teachers), leadership demonstrated by the school administrator and other members of the administrative team and motivation and reward activities.

From the point of view of businesses and institutions, it has been observed that the prominent factors for success were careful selection of school and student for cooperation, strategic and effective internship planning, close follow-up of the internship and performance-building activities, motivation for cooperation in companies and employees responsible for interns, cooperation with schools and internships resulting in employment and providing multidimensional support for schools.

Turkey is not where it should be in terms of vocational education. Nevertheless, tangible and helpful steps taken towards that direction have increased in number in recent years. It is necessary to restructure vocational and technical education in a way that will help young people realize their potentials, meet the qualified personnel needs of businesses and create an advantage for Turkey that aims to rise in international competition by bringing its young population to the fore. It is crucial in this process for the business world, labour world and the education world to join forces to develop and embrace on the basis of scientific analysis of concrete data, the best propositions for their own fields and for the future of our country on its way to European Union membership. The precondition to success for activities geared towards this aim is that policy makers and researchers lend an ear to and understand the needs of the private sector and that the private sector supports and guides vocational education. Academia and civil society will only then be able to contribute with sustainable policy propositions for the development of formal and non-formal education structures where individuals acquire skills and competencies required by the labour market and which support lifelong learning, thereby paving the way for policies that will carry further vocational education in Turkey.

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