State-led vocational education and training in Turkey through the lens of capability approach: strategically important but not commonly shared

Abstract

ABSTRACT Vocational education and training (VET) has been emphasised as an important topic in Turkey’s industrial development. However, Turkey’s VET system has often been criticised for its weak performance in meeting employers’ skill requirements and attracting successful students, which has resulted in the low status of VET in society. This article examines the Turkish VET system’s on-going challenges through the evaluation of different groups of stakeholders. Drawing on the Capability Approach, it seeks to understand stakeholders’ role in improving individuals’ capabilities in a state-led VET context. Focusing on the automotive industry, the researcher conducted 26 semi-structured interviews with the representatives of four groups: firms, industrial actors (industry chambers, employer associations, and trade unions), state agencies, and vocational teachers. The findings show that all stakeholders engaging with Turkey’s state-driven VET system agree on the strategic importance of the system for Turkey’s economic and social development. However, this agreement does not prove itself in the concerted action of the stakeholders to deal with the system’s challenges.