July 28, 2025

Erol Özvar, President of the Council of Higher Education, addressed the candidates before the YKS selection period that will start on July 30, 2025.

Stating that university candidates are on the eve of a critical decision to reach the profession of their dreams, Özvar said, “We have launched a major transformation in higher education to offer you the strongest support on this path.”

In his message, Özvar gave the good news of transformations that prepare vocational school students for the business world. Stating that they have established a structure that integrates industry and education across Türkiye, Özvar said, “From now on, vocational schools will be the fastest way to transition directly to business life, not just a diploma.”

Pointing out that the business world currently needs manpower with practical skills, practical thinking and the ability to produce solutions in the field as well as theoretical knowledge, Özvar stated that vocational schools are institutions that provide students with a profession by offering education intertwined with the sector, preparing them directly for the business world, and fully responding to this need with their application-oriented programs.

“These schools give their graduates not only a diploma, but also a profession and a future,” Özvar said.

Vocational schools established to strengthen vocational education in Türkiye and to train the qualified workforce needed by the sector are showing great success in employment, and students receive job offers even before they finish school.

-Students will earn income through industry cooperation even before graduation-

Emphasizing that the employment rate of students graduating from vocational schools established in organized industrial zones (OIZ) has reached 80 percent, he said that they aim to spread this model across Türkiye.

Özvar stated that 388 vocational schools were paired with 367 chambers and stock exchanges within the scope of the protocol carried out in cooperation with the Council of Higher Education and TOBB, and said, "With this cooperation, students will have direct contact with the sector before they graduate, receive education in the center of the business world, take applied courses, listen to their lessons directly from industrialists and gain experience in the sector. Moreover, they will also have the opportunity to earn income while receiving education."

-New programs designed according to the needs of the sector-

Özvar stated that within the scope of the transformation process carried out by the Council of Higher Education, programs with weak links to the labor market were gradually closed and that they continued to open new programs with high potential to find direct employment instead.

Stating that new undergraduate and associate degree programs have been launched in many fields such as Green Energy and Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Cyber Security, Digital Health and Digital Agriculture with the transformation moves initiated in line with the needs of the era and the future, and that all quotas are used with the great interest of students, Özvar said, "This year, there will be nine Green Transformation-oriented, seven Digital Health and Agriculture-oriented and 17 Artificial Intelligence-based programs in the YKS Selection Guide. We are expanding artificial intelligence-based programs to more than 80 universities."

-YÖK Atlas is an important guide in the selection process-

Özvar, who advised the candidates to check out YÖK Atlas, addressed them as follows:

"There are important innovations in YÖK Atlas this year. The accreditation of associate degree programs and the Turkish Qualifications Framework logo, applied courses, internships and workplace training opportunities will also be included in this system. You should definitely take a look at all this information when choosing the most suitable program for yourself.

The new programs are designed according to the demands of not only the era, but also the sector and the labor market. Programs that you will attend with excitement and will not have any employment problems after graduation are waiting for you. The right choice is extremely important to make your dreams come true. We are ready for you. Now it is your turn. I wish success to all our candidates."