Competencies must improve constantly!
Under the sectoral operational program focusing on the development of human resources, TBV VOC Testing Center Project Opening Conference, funded by European Union (EU) and the Republic of Turkey, was held on January 28 on the ICT Summit Digital platform.
Through the “Development of Human Resources Operational Program”, funded by Turkey Informatics Foundation (TBV), the European Union and the Republic of Turkey, the creation of standards for vocational qualifications in specific digital fields, measurement and certification of these competencies in the test center to be established are aimed. These certificates will be valid in Turkey and the EU countries. In this process focused on employment and quality standards, it will be of great importance that people and institutions suitable for the purpose take part in this digital event.
The opening speech of the digital meeting was made by TBV Vice Chairperson Bülent Gönç. As Gönç emphasized, founded 25 years ago, TBV is an NGO working for the purpose of transforming Turkey into an information society and in this regard, they developed this operational program focused on development of human resources, financed by the EU and Turkey. Within the scope of the VOC Test 3 project, which is supported by EU funds, the main goals are to develop a qualified and certified workforce, to strengthen the link between education and employment, to establish a competencies framework for our country and to align it with the European qualifications framework. It is also a priority to develop sustainable and developable human resources, to establish a test and certification center and to contribute to increasing the number of employees with certified competencies in the information technology and communication sector. Bülent Gönç said that: “Our main duty will be to measure and certify these competencies in our test center to be launched after the establishment of the standards. The fact that the project development plan, which we started on 1 November 2020 and will last for 18 months, is prepared in accordance with documents such as the strategic harmonization framework document and the European employment strategy gives us strength.”
Financial support transforms into benefits
EU Delegation, Education and Training Sector Manager Prof. Dr. Mustafa Balcı started his speech by drawing attention to the importance of the opening of the VOC test centers grant program, for which TBV began the establishment activities. He expressed that: “Rapid changes and developments in the information sector are rapidly changing our lives, social lives and communication methods. Especially the pandemic process enabled us to see how important digital technologies and the information sector are in many topics such as our economy, our education system, our commercial life and our shopping habits.” Dr. Mustafa Balcı continued his speech as:
“However, we have seen the importance of our people having digital skills and how important these skills are for the sustainability of our lives. With this center, which TBV started its establishment activities, the professions in the informatics sector will develop the standards and competencies together with the member organizations and will be used for the certification of the knowledge and skills with the member organizations. The purpose is to increase the competitiveness of these companies in the international business world by improving the employee quality and capacity of companies in the IT sector. The Vocational Qualifications Authority, the coordinator institution of VOC test certification bodies, plays an important role in this regard. The contracting authority of this project is the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services, European Union and Financial Aid Department. We transform these financial supports provided by the EU into benefits for our country.”
Meeting the need for qualified workforce
Drawing attention to the importance of the grant project to develop demand and system based digital transformation centers supported under the EU pre-accession financial aid instrument (IPA), the EU and Financial Aid Department President Süreyya Erkan drew attention to the speed in digital transformation and emphasized the increasing importance of lifelong learning and human capital to adapt to this pace. This reinforces the importance of vocational qualification training and certification centers. It is important for both these people and the employment market to increase the employability of the person in the information sector and to have the skills to provide this and to have these competencies certified by accredited organizations. Making this emphasis, Süreyya Erkan continued as:
“Raising qualified workforce is one of the most important motivations of our grant program. Within the scope of the project of developing digital transformation professions, which TBV is the executive, it is aimed to revise and develop certain occupational standards in the informatics sector, as well as to develop and accredit qualifications. VOC test exams of 200 people from disadvantageous groups will be covered by the grant fund with this project.”
Quality assurance is provided
Vocational Qualifications Authority (VQA) President Adem Ceylan pointed out in his speech that the creation of a skilled workforce to meet the expectations of working life is a priority of Turkey as it is on a global basis. Adem Ceylan continued his speech as:
“Establishing and operating internationally accredited VOC test centers, namely examination and evaluation centers, is among our duties. Providing and improving the quality assurance of the professional competence certificate is our corporate philosophy. In this context, we attach importance to the informatics sector, as in other sectors, in terms of bringing the young and dynamic workforce in our country to the working life or contributing to the academic and internationally accepted education and training processes. Especially in terms of financing all these activities, we are also benefiting from EU funds effectively. A resource of 21 million Euros was used by our institution from the EU fund. With this resource, 34 internationally accredited exam certification centers were established and 195 national occupational standards were prepared, in addition to improving the institutional capacity.”
Project manager Nilgün Yakut stated that they have accelerated their activities in the third grant program of VOC Test Centers, in other words, ‘development of system and demand based digital transformation professions’.
