Improving the Quality of Vocational Education and Training Through Establishment of Sectoral Centres of Excellence Operation (IQVETIII)

TREESP2.1.IQVETIII

Service component: 01.03.2021-29.02.2024
Grant component: 01.02.2022-31.07.2023

Directorate General of Vocational and Technical Education (DG VET) in the Ministry of National Education (MoNE)

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The IQVET III Operation, which is implemented as a continuation of IQVET I and IQVET II Operations within the scope of the Human Resources Development Operational Programme (HRD OP), is composed of 36-months service (technical assistance), 3-months supply and 18-months grant components.


The Operation aims to:

• provide activities on capacity-building for MoNE and its stakeholders, establishment and improvement of Sectoral Excellence Centres, and implementing awareness-raising activities under the service contract;
• support the Sectoral Excellence Centers with equipment and materials by the supply component,
• to implement support projects developed by grant beneficiaries under grant component.

Pilot provinces are İstanbul, Kocaeli, Bursa, Denizli, Antalya, İzmir, Adana, Sivas, Konya, Eskişehir, Trabzon, Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Erzincan, Samsun, Tekirdağ, Kayseri, Afyonkarahisar, Gaziantep, Manisa, Çanakkale, Kırşehir, Zonguldak, Malatya and Ankara.

Under the service component:

The service contract was signed on 23 December 2020.
The contract was commenced on 1 March 2021. Opening event was held on 28 October 2021 with the participation of representatives from relevant public institutions and stakeholders.
Project logo, web site, social media accounts and other visibility materials were developed and approved.

Intervention 1 addresses the improvement and strengthening of the quality assurance system in VET, including the development and dissemination of quality mechanisms and tools. In support of this, the Core Workgroup was established to prepare alternative models. To help facilitating its work an initial five-day training workshop was held in Ankara and 5-day training in the EU Member States (Italy) was organized. The final paper on different models on QA was prepared incorporating all the main findings collected during the training in Ankara and in the EU (A1.1). The fourth QCB meeting was held on July 28, 2023 where the proposal on ensuring sustainability of Quality Assurance Board has been discussed (A1.2). Meetings were held to establish Provincial Quality Assurance Boards and a meeting was held on June 8, 2023 in Ankara to receive feedback and identify issues for improvement in the QAS for VET (A1.3). Quality monitoring tools (the self-assessment mechanism used in VET schools) were finalized with a report produced and used as the basis for the implementation of training activities addressed to VET schools in pilot province (A1.4). Following the discussions held with Monitoring, Evaluation and Quality Development Department (MEQDD), an IT expert started to provide ad-hoc technical support for MEQDD’s self-assessment portal and submitted the revised web portal to the MEQDD (A1.5). A series of three-day trainings to promote quality monitoring tools (A1.6.1) as well as other series of one-day trainings (A1.6.3) on quality applications and EQAVET network were consecutively held and completed in 25 pilot provinces. In addition, 25 three-day trainings on quality audit and external assessment started to be provided in Ankara, Bursa, Eskişehir and Konya (A1.6.2) (A1.6).

Intervention 2 addresses the training of 3.000 teachers in VET pilot schools, in professional competences of their respective sectors. Preparation for the training required a revision of the special field competences. In this context, a training needs analysis (A2.1) study was conducted. Identification of training providers, design and development of OTJ training programmes, OTJ training implementation as well as training monitoring and evaluation are ongoing and synchronous processes will continue until September 2023 (A2.2). 1.555 out of 3.000 VET teachers received on-the-job training on 21 out of 25 VET fields. Monitoring and Evaluation Reports were prepared for the trainings conducted (A2.3).

Intervention 3 supports the establishment of 15 Sectoral Centres of Excellence, through capacity building including training and study visits. An additional study visit for 4 officials assigned by the Ministry of National Education took place in Frankfurt from 25-27 April 2023. Study Visit programme as well as the briefing note were completed (Additional Activity 3.1). 2 three-day meetings and one two-day workshop were held with stakeholders (A3.2.2). Working manuals and sustainability plan under a sub-activity A3.2.4 in parallel with the workshops under sub-activity A3.2.5 have been developed. To facilitate the establishment of SCoEs process, the SCoE Working Group was established. Four workshops were held in Eskişehir, Izmir, Ankara and İstanbul, and workshop reports were drafted. The process for establishment of SCoEs and personnel assignment has continued.

Intervention 4 has been commenced, with mobilization of an expert team. This team has conducted the first round of 5-day pilot trainings of 3 programmes (Mathematics, Foreign Language and Science) in Ankara. The implementation of pilot trainings continue. Under activity 4.3, 5-day trainings were held in 10 pilot provinces. A planning until October 2023 is ready for the rest of the trainings.

Under Intervention 6, the first ten-day training on learning materials was held in Adana. The second training was held in Eskişehir. The third training which was scheduled to be in Hatay, where participants travelled to start the training, could not be completed because of the earthquake in February 2023. The training sessions continued in May and June in Ankara and Istanbul (A.6.1). Under A.6.2, NKE deployment process has been completed and the delivery of trainings will start soon.

Intervention 7: The review on the existing system via desk study and 2 one-day meetings in Ankara and İstanbul aimed to get the views and expectations of stakeholders and the needs analysis for vocational guidance training have been conducted (A.7.1.2). A two-day workshop to define the content of the vocational guidance training programme for guidance teachers was carried out in Ankara (A.7.2.3). A report on different models of vocational guidance based on the feedback and knowledge gained from desk study (7.1.1) as well as meetings and workshops (7.1.2 and 7.2.3) was drafted (A.7.1.3). A training was held in Ankara with the participation of 50 teachers and 2 DG Vet personnel between November 7-11, 2022 (A.7.3.2). To coordinate the pilot implementation of the vocational guidance training programme, field visits at 15 pilot schools in 8 provinces were completed. 3 (A.7.1.4). A draft training programme was prepared in line with the outcomes of the desk study and workshop (A.7.2.4).

Intervention 8 has commenced with a two-day meeting held for representatives of the MoNE Provincial Directorates of the 25 pilot provinces. The first series of 25 one-day information meeting started in Ankara, Eskişehir, Bursa and Konya. The international conference on Quality Assurance (A.8.2) and promotional materials on the existing quality applications (A.8.3) are the activities under preparation within this Intervention.

Intervention 9 has commenced with drafting a concept note for the two-day forum planned to be held in Antalya on March 1-2, 2023. Preparations for the forum and the logistical arrangements have started. The forum was postponed to November 2023 because of the earthquake. The preparation work is in progress.

Under Intervention 10, following the assessment of types of media and communication tools for promoting VET, a two-day workshop was organised in Ankara, and the workshop report was drafted. This intervention will result in the development and distribution of communication toolkits, comprising media and tools developed for the promotion of vocational and technical education. Documents on the communication kit to be produced were prepared (A.10.2.1). The first public service announcement under A.10.2.1 was completed.

Under Intervention 11, expert assignments have continued.

Under Intervention 12, expert mobilization has been completed. Implementation plan is under preparation.

Intervention 13 will result in a piloting of a modular credit passing system. A desk analysis on credit modular system was conducted and two-day workshop was held in Istanbul to discuss and revise the concept note’s main findings. A concept note on the implementation of all activities under component 13 was drafted (A.13.1.1). One of the two two-day workshops to discuss the concept note was held in Istanbul in 2022 (A.13.1.2). The second workshop was planned to be held in August 2023 (A.13.1.2). A study visit lasting for 5 days was organised in Slovenia to observe the best practices in the EU Member States (A.13.1.3). Modular programmes in 15 fields were reviewed in line with the developed concept through a five-day workshop held in Gaziantep (A.13.2). 15 two-day trainings were conducted for teachers of 15 pilot schools on the agreed piloting concept (A.13.3). 45 two-day school visits to monitor pilot implementation at schools were completed at the end of May 2023 and the relevant reports were drafted by the schools and NKEs (A.13.4). A recommendation report on the implementation of Credit Modular Passing System was prepared (A.13.5).

Intervention 14: An expert was deployed for raising awareness on the monitoring system of VET schools’ graduates. 25 one-day meetings were conducted to increase awareness of the sector representatives on e-graduate system in pilot provinces until the end of 2022. The participants received guidance about “e-Mezun”/”e-Graduate” system, its performance and outreach. (14.1) The promotional film increasing awareness on e-graduate system has been produced (A.14.2). A concept note was developed about the promotional kit and visibility materials of e-graduate system as well as the SMS package (A.14.3 and A.14.4).

Under grant component:

Implementation of 18 grant contracts started on 01.02.2022. Management of Grant Projects Training was delivered between 16-18.02.2022 (for 2.5 Days). MoNE signed protocols with the grant beneficiaries for sustainability of the activities. Procurement trainings were held for grant beneficiaries on 16-17 May 2022. Participation to opening events of the projects was ensured and the first thematical and technical monitoring visits were completed. Reporting trainings are planned to be given in the first quarter of 2023.

Under supply component

Within the scope of this Operation, 3 supply contracts were signed by the end of January 2023.

Implementation period of Lot 1 started on 28.11.2022 and it was finalised on 12.07.2023.

Implementation period of Lot 3 started on 17.11.2022 and it was finalised on 08.06.2023.

In the Lot 4 contract, the implementation period started on 04.11.2022 and it was finalised on 04.04.2023.

For information on the supply component, please click here.