- CoHE is connecting university students with the world of production and preparing them for employment at the heart of industry

- Kocaeli, Türkiye’s industrial hub, takes a new step in the Work-Based Vocational Education Model, which will connect 120,000 students with working life

- CoHE President Özvar:

- “We are transforming internships from short-term and limited experiences into an integral part of the education process”

- “Our primary goal is to jointly develop employment-oriented programs and expand education and internship opportunities in line with industry expectations”

- Özvar calls on the business community: “Let’s design programs and curricula together”

- Kocaeli, home to 85 of Türkiye’s 500 largest industrial companies, will offer students extensive opportunities for hands-on training through its strong industrial infrastructure

September 3, 2026

CoHE has taken one of the major steps in the Work-Based Vocational Education Model, which aims to bring university students into contact with working life while they are still pursuing their education, in Kocaeli, one of Türkiye’s leading centers of industry and production.

A cooperation protocol was signed between CoHE, the Kocaeli Chamber of Industry (KSO), and the Kocaeli Chamber of Commerce (KOTO) to expand work-based vocational education, develop higher education programs in line with industry needs, and strengthen university-industry cooperation.

Speaking at the protocol signing ceremony held at the Prof. Dr. Baki Komsuoğlu Conference Hall at Kocaeli University, CoHE President Erol Özvar said conventional internship practices are no longer sufficient to support students’ professional development or meet industry expectations.

“For this reason, we are transforming internships from short-term and limited experiences into an integral part of the education process,” Özvar said.

Özvar said they aim for students in vocational schools and undergraduate programs to spend one or two semesters directly immersed in working life, emphasizing that the new practice differs from the conventional concept of an internship.

“The aim here is not an extended internship in the conventional sense, but a structured educational process that carries academic credit, is subject to assessment and evaluation, and is systematically monitored from an academic perspective,” Özvar said.

“Our primary goal is to jointly develop employment-oriented programs and expand education and internship opportunities in line with industry expectations,” Özvar said.

Under the new model, students’ education in companies will be academically monitored. The knowledge, skills, and competencies they acquire will be assessed in line with the Turkish Qualifications Framework, while students will be supported through academic guidance and the supervision of training personnel at the companies.

- Employment needs will shape programs

Describing work-based vocational education as “an important part of the broader transformation taking place in higher education,” Özvar said quota and program policies are also being shaped by taking changes in the labor market into account.

Özvar said programs that no longer offer employment opportunities or have weakened links with industry are being examined in detail. He noted that quotas have been reduced for some programs, others have been transformed, and programs for which there is no longer a need have been closed.

At the same time, Özvar emphasized that new programs are being supported in strategic areas such as artificial intelligence, digital technologies, advanced manufacturing systems, the green transition, energy, agricultural technologies, and healthcare. He said the aim is not to shrink the higher education system but to restructure it in line with the needs of the future.

- Call to industry representatives to help shape curricula

Özvar said the Work-Based Vocational Education Model is not limited to students receiving training at companies and that they want the business community to play an active role in developing educational programs as well.

Inviting industry representatives to “contribute to the development of the curricula of higher education programs,” Özvar said:

“I am calling on our businesspeople: Let’s determine the curricula at vocational schools together. Support us with your knowledge and experience regarding the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed by industry. We will then renew our curricula based on the data we receive from you. Let’s design the programs of vocational schools and even faculties together with our industry representatives. Our universities are ready to cooperate with you.”

- Universities, industry, and human resources at the same table

Under the protocol, existing educational programs will be updated in line with the changing needs of industry, new programs may be opened in areas where there is a need, and course content will be developed with contributions from industry representatives.

Joint working groups comprising industry representatives, academic staff, and human resources specialists will be established. Companies will also appoint training personnel to monitor and guide students in their work.

The cooperation will not be limited to education. By conducting R&D activities addressing the sector’s current needs together with the scientific expertise of universities, the initiative aims to transform academic knowledge and production experience into new projects and innovative solutions.

The protocol aims to enable students to spend part of their education directly in working life, bring together the academic knowledge available at universities with Kocaeli’s strong production experience, and train the qualified human resources needed by industry.

- 7 pilot provinces, 185 programs, 120,000 students

The Work-Based Vocational Education Model will be implemented in seven pilot provinces—Ankara, Bursa, Gaziantep, Istanbul, İzmir, Kocaeli, and Konya—in the 2026–2027 academic year.

In its first phase, the model will cover 185 vocational associate degree programs with around 120,000 students. Students will spend at least one semester of their education directly at companies. Kocaeli University, Gebze Technical University, and Kocaeli Health and Technology University are among the higher education institutions where the model will be implemented.

During this process, students will have the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge in real working environments, become familiar with production discipline, develop an occupational health and safety culture, and strengthen their professional competencies. Companies, meanwhile, will be able to get to know young people they may employ in the future while they are still pursuing their education.

- Around 20 percent of Türkiye’s foreign trade comes from Kocaeli

Kocaeli, one of the pilot provinces for the Work-Based Vocational Education Model, offers students extensive opportunities for hands-on training through its strong production, foreign trade, technology, and R&D infrastructure.

Home to 85 of Türkiye’s 500 largest industrial companies, Kocaeli accounted for around 20 percent of Türkiye’s foreign trade in 2025, with a foreign trade volume of USD 127.18 billion.

The city has 14 organized industrial zones, five technoparks, and two free zones. Specialized organized industrial zones, particularly in automotive, chemicals, machinery, and plastics, constitute a significant part of Kocaeli’s production infrastructure.

Kocaeli also has a strong technology and R&D ecosystem. Around 140 of Türkiye’s R&D centers and 15 design centers operate in the city. In addition to Bilişim Vadisi and TÜBİTAK MAM, universities and technoparks in the city also contribute to this ecosystem.

- Results in Kocaeli will contribute to the future of the model

CoHE President Özvar emphasized that the results achieved in Kocaeli will be important for further developing the initiative and expanding it across Türkiye.

Özvar said the cooperation with the Kocaeli Chamber of Industry and the Kocaeli Chamber of Commerce would establish a sustainable structure between universities and the city’s industrial and business community. He wished the protocol success for the higher education system, Kocaeli, and Türkiye.

- Governor Aktaş: “It will make a significant contribution to meeting industry’s need for qualified personnel”

Kocaeli Governor İlhami Aktaş said Kocaeli University has a dynamic structure that extends beyond its campuses and lecture halls and directly engages with the needs of the city, drawing attention to the importance of the university’s cooperation with the public sector and industry.

Emphasizing that the Work-Based Vocational Education Model will address an important need in Kocaeli, Aktaş said the need for technically skilled and experienced personnel in the city’s industry is a recurring issue. He noted that greater interaction between students and industry throughout their education would make a significant contribution to meeting this need.

Aktaş expressed his satisfaction that Kocaeli was selected as one of the pilot provinces and wished the project success for the benefit of both students and industry.

- KSO President Zeytinoğlu: “It will help meet our need for qualified human resources”

Ayhan Zeytinoğlu, Chairman of the KSO Board of Directors, said Kocaeli contributes around 13 percent to Türkiye’s manufacturing industry, is home to 85 of Türkiye’s 500 largest industrial companies, and accounts for around 20 percent of the country’s foreign trade.

Recalling that the city has 14 organized industrial zones, five technoparks, and two free zones, Zeytinoğlu said this strong production infrastructure offers significant potential for bringing higher education and industry closer together.

Zeytinoğlu said the Work-Based Vocational Education Model would give students the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge directly in companies, while enabling the business community to gain earlier access to the qualified human resources it needs.

“We believe that the new Work-Based Vocational Education Model, which will enable our students to enter working life better equipped, will make a significant contribution to meeting our industry’s need for qualified human resources,” he said.

- KOTO Assembly President Gezer: “University-industry cooperation will be strengthened”

Hüseyin Gezer, President of the Kocaeli Chamber of Commerce Assembly, highlighted the importance of bringing industry and universities together to train the human resources needed by different sectors. Gezer said strengthening university-industry cooperation would make a significant contribution to meeting sectors’ need for qualified human resources.

Following the speeches, CoHE, the Kocaeli Chamber of Industry, and the Kocaeli Chamber of Commerce signed a cooperation protocol aimed at expanding work-based vocational education. The protocol was signed by CoHE President Erol Özvar, Kocaeli Chamber of Industry Chairman of the Board Ayhan Zeytinoğlu, and Kocaeli Chamber of Commerce Assembly President Hüseyin Gezer.

The event was attended by CoHE Deputy President Prof. Naci Gündoğan; CoHE Executive Board Members Prof. Erol Arcaklıoğlu, Prof. Arif Bilgin, and Prof. Kemal Şenocak; Kocaeli Governor İlhami Aktaş; Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tahir Büyükakın; the rectors of Kocaeli University, Gebze Technical University, and Kocaeli Health and Technology University; members of parliament; presidents of organized industrial zones; and other invited guests.

Following the ceremony, Özvar and his delegation visited the Rector’s Office of Kocaeli University, where they received information from Rector Prof. Nuh Zafer Cantürk about the university’s activities and academic work.