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The Intersection of Vocational Education and Foreign Trade in Turkey: Systemic Barriers and Proposed Solutions on the Path to a Skilled Workforce

Abstract

In the globalizing world economy, the competitiveness of countries is directly related not only to their production capacity but also to the availability of a skilled workforce. Vocational education and foreign trade education in Turkey are of strategic importance in this context. This study is structured based on the document analysis approach, one of the qualitative research methods. In order to comprehensively assess the current state of vocational education and foreign trade education in Turkey, official legislation, MEB regulations, statistical data, relevant academic publications, and current policy documents were examined. The data obtained from these documents were analyzed using content analysis techniques, and the structural problems of the education system and its compatibility with sectoral needs were classified thematically. Thanks to this methodological approach, the role of foreign trade education in the country's development and the systemic obstacles it faces have been evaluated in a multidimensional manner. In particular, the content of foreign trade education provided within the framework of Vocational and Technical Anatolian High Schools, its regional distribution, teacher qualifications, and perception issues in society are comprehensively addressed. In addition, the relationship between foreign trade education and the country's development vision, its impact on employment, and structural deficiencies in the context of education policies have been evaluated. At the end of the study, concrete recommendations are made for the restructuring of the vocational education system and the strengthening of foreign trade education in terms of quantity and quality in order for Turkey to achieve its economic goals for 2023 and beyond.

Hilal DEMÄ°R^{1 *}, Zühal YÜKSEL², Gökhan YAĞAR ³, Serkan ACAR ⁴, Murat YİĞİT⁵

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