The 4th Steering Committee Meeting held under the second phase of the “Vocational Education and Training Programme for Employment” (VET4JOB-II), supported by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France and EDUSER in partnership with the Directorate General for Vocational and Technical Education of the Ministry of National Education and the Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen was held in Ankara on 16 September 2026.
The opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Fahri ACAR, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of National Education’s Directorate General for Vocational and Technical Education; Ms. Silvia PIETROPAOLO, Team Leader for Human and Social Development at the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye; Mr. Atakan ÇELİK, Deputy Secretary General of TESK, Mr. Fatih DURAN, Team Leader of the FRIT Coordination Office at the Presidency of Migration Management of the Ministry of Interior; and Ms. Violaine GAGNET, Head of the Vocational Training, Social Inclusion and Employment Unit at Expertise France.
In their opening remarks, the speakers highlighted the importance of vocational education, professional culture, solidarity and cooperation in the context of Ahilik Week. They also emphasised the collaborative nature of VET4JOB-II, noting the importance of developing approaches that can respond to changing and evolving migration dynamics while taking local needs and conditions into account. It was underlined that different provinces and local structures have their own specific dynamics, and that adapting activities to needs on the ground is essential to achieving effective and sustainable results. In this context, the importance of cooperation among public institutions, professional organisations, educational institutions and the business community in strengthening vocational education and supporting young people’s transition to employment was emphasised.
During the meeting, Dr. Fatma ÖZDEMİR ULUÇ, Team Leader at Expertise France, and Aişe AKPINAR, Programme Coordinator at EDUSER, shared an overview of the current status of the programme’s second phase and plans for the upcoming period with the participants.
The presentation highlighted significant progress across both components of VET4JOB-II, including expanded access to vocational training, strengthened outreach and information activities targeting the programme’s target groups, and continued efforts to enhance institutional capacity. It was also noted that further strengthening the link between vocational education and employment remains one of the programme’s priorities for the coming period.
The meeting also addressed a number of implementation-related issues, including reaching target groups and supporting their enrolment, strengthening cooperation with workplaces and relevant institutions, adapting certain indicators to current conditions, and ensuring that activities continue to respond to labour-market needs. Looking ahead, the importance of consolidating the achievements made to date, developing solutions to existing needs and bottlenecks, and ensuring the sustainability of the results was emphasised.
The meeting continued with an assessment of the activities carried out under VET4JOB-II to date and a discussion of priorities for the upcoming period, with the relevant institutions and stakeholders working together.
