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1. Official guidelines on traineeships and apprenticeships

2. Promoting traineeships and apprenticeships

3. Recognition of learning outcomes

4. Funding

5. Quality assurance

Official guidelines on traineeships and apprenticeships

Traineeship and apprenticeship in Turkey are regulated by the Law on Vocational Training and the Regulation on Vocational and Technical Training. A trainee is the person who is employed by an employer in order to improve his/her knowledge level by observing practices and to learn activities carried out by a workplace. An apprentice is a person who improves on-the-job knowledge, skills and working habits required by a profession in accordance with principles set forth in apprenticeship agreement in the Law on Vocational Training. In accordance with Article 18 of the Law on Vocational Training No 3308 a public and private institution, establishment or workplace producing products or services and employing more than nine personnel provide skills training to students of vocational and technical educational schools and institutions provided that their number is not less than five per cent of the total number of employees. Regarding university students, students who have to make traineeship under the educational and training program they are studying and students whose traineeship is found appropriate by the school upon their applications although they do not have make traineeship are covered by the trainee status.

The Regulation on Vocational and Technical Training issued to determine rules and procedures relating to many subjects of apprenticeship which is covered by the title Vocational and Technical Training is an official guide. The basic legal arrangement relating to management and implementation of the Turkish Qualifications Framework (TQF) which aims to cover all general training qualifications, vocational qualifications and academic qualifications is “the Regulation on Rules and Principles relating to Implementation of the Turkish Qualifications Framework” which was put into force by a Cabinet Decision.

The Regulation was put into force by being published in the Official Gazette of 19/11/2015 and No 29537 and has been developed to regulate rules and procedures relating to development, improvement, implementation and updating of the TQF in line with the activities carried out in order to develop policies, processes and protocols that will ensure functionality of the TQF by taking into account the principles relating to implementation and management of the TQF.

In addition, each educational and vocational institution which requires traineeship develops guidelines in which requirements and method of traineeship are explained in details. 

Promoting traineeships and apprenticeships

The vocational qualification certificate is not obligatory for those having a mastership certificate in accordance with the Law on Vocational Training of 5/6/1986 and No 3308 and those graduated from vocational or technical schools of the Ministry of National Education or from schools or departments of universities offering vocational and technical education and working at braches, areas or fields specified in their mastership certificates. According to this Law individuals are obliged to receive apprenticeship training or have vocational qualification certificate in the relevant field in order to engage in relevant professions.

The Vocational Requirements are also covered by the Turkish Qualifications Framework (TQF). The TQF classifies all qualifications whose quality assurance is ensured under eight levels and groups them according to their types. For example the Level 5 covers “Undergraduate Diploma” and “Level 5 Vocational Qualification Certificate” and Level 4 covers “Vocational and Technical Training High School Diploma” and “Mastership Certificate”.

The design of the TQF which ensures that qualifications relating to vocational aspects such as mastership and semiskilled certificates obtained by attending apprenticeship and semiskilled programs in addition to formal education are the same level with academic and general education qualifications aims to encourage young people in terms of having vocational qualifications by respecting vocational qualifications.

As part of active employment policies, which are a significant component of public employment services in Türkiye, the Turkish Employment Agency (ISKUR) organizes vocational training courses, on-the-job training programs, community service programs and other courses, programs, projects and special initiatives to contribute to maintaining and increasing employment, enhancing the vocational qualifications of the unemployed individuals, reducing unemployment, and integrating groups with special needs into the labor market. 

On-the-Job Training Programs: On-the-job training programs are organized by the Turkish Employment Agency (ISKUR) to provide registered unemployed individuals with vocational experience and enhance their employability. Labor Market Needs Analyses are conducted by the 81 Provincial Directorates of Labor and Employment Agency in Türkiye and the most needed professions in each province are identified based on the results. In line with the Annual Labor Force Training Plans prepared by the Provincial Directorates of Labor and Employment Agency, courses and programs are determined for these professions. On-the-Job Training Programs are implemented for a maximum duration of 6 months in the information technology and manufacturing sectors and a maximum of 3 months in other sectors, with a maximum of 8 hours per day and 45 hours per week, not exceeding 6 days per week. Participants who are in the status of job seekers receive a daily allowance of 428.55 TL, those in student status receive 438.55 TL and those receiving unemployment benefits receive a daily allowance of 219.28 TL for each day of actual participation. Additionally, during the program, participants' general health insurance, work accident, and occupational disease insurance premiums are covered by our institution. From 2012 till the end of August 2023, a total of 4,150,146 individuals participated in vocational training courses and on-the-job training programs and young people comprised 44% of the total participants.

Vocational Training Courses: Vocational training courses are organized with the aim of providing a profession to those who do not have a profession and enhancing the employability of individuals who already have a profession but wish to improve their vocational skills. Upon successful completion of vocational training courses, participants are awarded a Course Completion Certificate. Participants receive a daily allowance ranging from 175.42 TL to 285.06 TL and their general health insurance, work accident, and occupational disease insurance premiums are covered during the course period.

Self-Employment Grant Support for People with Disabilities: Support for increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities is also implemented by ISKUR. ISKUR provides grant support for disabled individuals who want to become their own bosses through the self-employment grant program and continues to stand by people with disabilities in the process of realizing their dreams. Within this framework, up to 150,000 TL grant support is provided to disabled individuals who want to start their own businesses and apply to ISKUR by preparing a project. 

On-the-Job Training Programs in Future Professions: In on-the-job training programs implemented for professions predicted to the future jobs, such as cybersecurity, coding, cloud technology, etc., participants in the 18-29 age group can attend programs for up to nine months, unlike other on-the-job training programs and participants receive a daily allowance of 482.41 TL. A total of 100 professions have been identified as future occupations and on-the-job training programs in these professions are carried out in technoparks, workplaces operating as Research and Development (R&D) centers, technology center enterprises, design centers and workplaces in the information and communication sector. 

Qualified IT Specialist Training Project:  Since 2014, specialized courses for the information technology sector have been organized with Qualified IT Specialist Training Project (NBUY). Within the scope of the NBUY Project, the training sessions are conducted with a higher quality compared to other vocational training programs and the correct target audience has been identified. Under the NBUY Project, training has been provided for the professions of Software Specialist, System Specialist, Enterprise Resource Planning Specialist, Cybersecurity Specialist, Cloud Computing Specialist and Game Development Specialist. 

KALFA Program: A collaboration protocol for organizing and implementing vocational training courses within the scope of the Kalfa Program has been established between the Presidency of Defense Industries and General Directorate of Turkish Employment Agency under the Ministry Labor and Social Security. Additionally, a collaboration has been established between the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) and the Turkish Employment Agency (ISKUR) aimed at training qualified workforce for the defense industry sector. Within the scope of the collaboration, vocational training courses are organized to contribute to the development of qualified human resources in the defense industry ecosystem and to increase the number of qualified professionals in the defense industry. Training is provided for recent university graduates in the fields of Structural Analysis and Design Specialist, Embedded Systems Specialist, Radar and Communication Systems Specialist, Propulsion and Motor Systems Specialist and Cybersecurity Specialist within this collaboration. Upon successful completion of this training, a pool of employment opportunities will be created by SSB for the graduates. The goal is to ensure that at least seventy percent of the graduates are employed in defense industry firms. 

Intership Portal: In July 2022, a "Internship Portal" was created to enable young people to easily access and apply for internship announcements from registered employers. The portal provides a platform for young people to easily access internship announcements and for employers to find suitable interns.

Recognition of learning outcomes

The 35th article of Law No. 3308 on Vocational Education states: "The vocational competencies related to previous learning are determined through examination based on vocational standards and levels". The Vocational Qualifications Authority (VQA) is concentrated on activities relating to recognition of former learnings and validation of common and free learnings. The VQA ensures recognition and certification of learning acquisitions determined in the national qualifications through authorization of professional organizations, employee-employer unions, units of universities engaged in certification of personnel, independent personnel Certification Bodies.

The Certification Bodies Authorized by the VQA measures and assesses individuals wishing to obtain a VQA Vocational Qualifications Certificate in relevant UYs and provides successful person with such certificate.

The Authorized Certification Bodies provides individuals with the opportunity of certification of their vocational knowledge, skills and qualifications obtained in any manner and regardless of their educational background and job experience. Learning acquirements of those whose applicants are found to be appropriate among the individuals making an application for certification are measured and assessed according to the criteria defined in relevant UYs and the VQA Vocational Qualification Certificate is issued for those successful. The VQA Vocational Qualification Certificates are the documents which are recognized and relied on by national and international labour markets.         

Thus, individuals find the opportunity to save the units in which they are successful. In addition, Europass Certificate Supplements which define the learning acquisitions covered by the VQA Vocational Qualification Certificates hold by individuals are developed and published in website of the VQA.

Participants in vocational training courses organized by the Turkish Employment Agency (ISKUR) are initially awarded a vocational qualification certificate which is internationally recognized. In cases where this is not possible, a course completion certificate or diploma approved by the Ministry of National Education or a university is issued. Unemployed individuals who receive training can be employed in private sector workplaces based on the profession they have been trained in and the available job opportunities. Individuals who participate in on-the-job training programs receive an On-the-Job Training Program Certificate.

Funding

In accordance with the Law on Vocational Training the Ministry of National Education is obliged to pay premiums for semiskilled workers, those receiving vocational training in enterprises, students subject to apprenticeship when studying at vocational or technical secondary school and students receiving complementary training or field training. For scholarships engaged in projects supported by public institutions and establishments, the public institutions and establishments within which the project is conducted are liable to pay premiums.  For students subject to apprenticeship during higher education or those receiving vocational trainings in enterprises, the higher education institution at which such students are studying is liable to pay premiums.

Since premiums of apprentices are paid by the Ministry of National Education or the institutions at which they are trained there is not any premium load on employers and there is not any other direct exemption or deduction for apprentices. 

The financing of active labor programs organized by ISKUR is covered by the Unemployment Insurance Fund.

The certificate cost relating to professions which are subject to a certificate in accordance with the Law on Vocational Qualifications Institution No 5544 and the exam fee (if does not exceed the amount specified by the Council of Ministers) are paid by the Unemployment Insurance Fund according to the principles set forth in the Law on Unemployment Insurance.

Quality assurance

Aim of the Vocational and Technical Training Strategy Document and Action Plan aims at promoting workplace-based learning including quality traineeship, apprenticeship and dual training models in order to facilitate transformation from educational career to working life for ensuring quality sustainability relating to traineeship and apprenticeship. In order for an enterprise to accept a student it should meet at least 80 % of the educational program, employ at least one master educator or trainer personnel in relevant field and the workplace standards should comply with the legal regulations. In various projects covered by lifelong learning activities executed and developed by the Ministry of National Education, the Council of Higher Education and VQA “ensuring that social partners involve in decision-making mechanisms, development of learning outcomes at various levels by the help of industry, determination of module-credit values of formal and non-formal educational programs, crediting of activities such as traineeship and on-the-job training, counselling and guidance, information systems, recognition, assessment and validity of former learnings, certification and quality assurance” are the prioritized items.

The total quality management approach has been adopted for provision of all services including apprenticeship and semiskilled trainings specified in the Regulation on Vocational and Technical Training. Establishment and functioning of the quality improvement team are regulated by provisions of “the Implementing Directive of the Ministry of National Education on Total Quality Management”.