The pilot session of the awareness raising meeting organized in the scope of the second phase of the Vocational Education and Training for Employment Programme (VET4JOB-II)—funded by the European Union and implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of National Education (MoNE), the Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen (TESK), Expertise France, and Eduser—was held on 10–11 April 2025 in the İnegöl district of Bursa.
The one-day meetings, designed for two separate groups, brought together guidance counsellors from middle schools and assistant principals responsible for high school placement (LGS) preferences in İnegöl. The first day of the event began with opening speeches by İnegöl District Director of National Education Halil İbrahim Zengin and Mustafa Günay, Head of the Department of Social Partners and Projects at the MoNE General Directorate of Vocational and Technical Education. Following the opening, Mr. Günay delivered a comprehensive presentation on the promotion and orientation strategies for vocational and technical secondary education institutions. Later, Musa Oktar, Director of the İnegöl Vocational Training Centre, provided detailed information on the structure and functioning of vocational training centres.
The sessions, attended by the total number of 130 guidance counsellors and assistant principals, continued with group activities and interactive workshops that enabled participants to reflect on and discuss common misconceptions about apprenticeship training in society, contributing to an engaging and participatory learning environment.
On the second day, the second group of participants attended the sessions, which started with opening remarks by Bursa Deputy Director of National Education Bülent Altıntaş and Mustafa Günay.
The meetings concluded with evaluations and closing remarks.
The positive feedback received from participants clearly demonstrated that such activities under the VET4JOB-II programme significantly contribute to raising awareness about vocational education and improving the public perception of the apprenticeship training system.
