SUPPORT TO THE NATIONAL EUROPASS CENTER (2010-2017)

With reference to the view that our country, which is a part of the Life Long Learning Program, should establish a ‘’National Europass Center’’ as per the Counsil decision No. 2241/2004/EC and due to the fact that the subjects related to Europass take place within the scope of its operating field as per the VQA Law no 5544, Vocational Qualifications Authority was assigned as the National Europass Center (NEC) on July 28,2008 .

The NEC (National Europass Center) continues to conduct its studies on awareness- raising for Europass, capacity-building, expanding the usage of Europass mobility, publicity and ensuring the cooperation between organizations responsible for Europass. Within the context of the Life Long Learning Program which was implemented between the years 2007-2013 by the European Union and came to an end in 2014, the grant support provided in the field of higher education will continue under the title Erasmus+ Program between 2014-2020. Thus the activities of NEC, continue to be supported in terms of funding within the context of Erasmus+ Program. Europass is financed by the European Union with VQA as the co-financer every year. The activities within the context of the Project "Support to the National Europass Center" are conducted by the VQA National Europass Center.

The overall objective of the Project is to raise awareness on Europass, capacity-building for the National Europass Center, extend the usage of the mobility document and ensure the cooperation of the organizations.It has been implemented since 16.03.2010. The duties to fulfill in order to reach the Project objectives are the coordination of the managament of Europass documents, the introduction of Europass, the formation and operation of the national web site, coordination with the guidance and information networks and taking place in the EUROPASS European network.

The Europass documents are a set of files which are open for the use of individuals looking for employment or planning to attend an educational programme at the European Union level and these documents aim at better displaying the competence and qualifications owned as well as providing transparency for these qualifications. Europass is used as an important tool in allowing mobility and making the skills and qualifications of individuals more clearly and easily understandable in Europe (European Union, EFTA/EEA and candidate countries).

Europass consists of five documents being the Europass CV, the Europass Language Passport which may be created by the individual and the Europass Certificate Supplement, Europass Diploma Supplement and the Europass Mobility which are created by the competent authorities.

Clickfor detailed information about the National Europass Center.

Clickfor detailed information about Europass.

Activities conducted by the National Europass Center in 2010:

• VQA represented our country in the annual National Europass Centres meeting conducted in Bulgaria by CEDEFOP and an experience exchange took place.
• The Europass Mobility Tool which is used for proving the experience gained in Europe, was started to be used by VQA through the CEDEFOP network.
• The official Europass web site was created and put into use with the aim of raising awareness on Europass and information giving on the activities of NEC.
• A meeting was conducted with the Ministy of National Education and Turkish Employment Agency on the certificate supplement.
• An opening ceremony was conducted with the aim of ensuring the coordination between the National Europass Centre and related organizations as well as increasing the use of Europass through this means.

Data of the year 2010:

Europass CVs completed in Turkey: 20.413

Language Passports completed online in Turkish: 775

Diploma Supplement: 171.518 (the number of diploma supplements given in 2009 and 2010)

Elde Edilen Çıktılar (Broşür):

Activities conducted by the National Europass Center in 2011:

• Presentations were made for the university students in Erzurum, Ankara, Gaziantep, Bursa, Eskişehir and İstanbul.
• Information on Europass was given at the stands set up in the employment fairs conducted in Manisa, Kayseri, Denizli, Mersin and İstanbul.
• Europass 2005-2020 strategy meeting conducted in Brussels was attended.
• Europass annual meeting conducted in Brussels was attended.
• Information meetings on Europass progress strategy were conducted through the visits made to the representatives of Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TİSK), Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen (TESK), the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB, Ministry of National Education- General Directorate of Special Education and Guidance Services, Ministry of National Education- Department of Research and Development of Education, Turkish Employment Agency-Euroguidance, National Agency, HAK-İŞ Trade Union Confederation, Council of Higher Education (CoHE), Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions.
• Presentations on the Europass Mobility Document were made to the coordinators of the National Agency Life Long Learning Departments.
• National Agency Erasmus Annual Meeting conducted in Diyarbakır Dicle University was attended and an informative presentation was made.
• Europass Monitoring and Evaluation Meeting was conducted.

Data of the year 2011:

Europass CVs completed in Turkey: 29.301

Language Passports completed in Turkish: 610

Organizations authorized to give mobility documents: 20

Mobility Documents: 275

Certificate Supplement 650 (49 alanda 214 dal programına ait)

Diploma Supplement: 263.657

A Europass introductory film was made.

Activities conducted by the National Europass Center in 2012:

• Informative presentations were made for the university students in Ankara, Kars, Antalya, Manisa, Çanakkale and Karabük.
• Information on Europass was given at the stands set up in the employment fairs conducted in Ankara, Malatya, Kocaeli, Manisa, Hatay, Trabzon, İzmir and Kayseri.
• İInformative presentations were made to the directors of the Guidance and Research Centers in İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir.
• Informative presentations were made to the public institutions and organizations in Denizli, Bursa, Erzurum and Eskişehir within the scope of the UYEP Project( The Project of Strengtening the Vocational Qualifications Authority and National Qualifications System in Turkey)
• Informative presentations were made in Ankara, Adana, İzmir, Kayseri and Karabük in cooperation with the trade chambers and unions.
• Informative presentations were made to the Provincial Employment Board in İstanbul and İzmir.
• International meetings conducted in Brussels and Portugal were attended.
• An informative presentation was made in the Balıkesir National Agency Erasmus Meeting.

Data of the year 2012:

Europass CVs completed in Turkey: 43.913

Language Passports completed in Turkish: 1.250

Organizations authorized to give mobility documents: 45

Mobility Documents: 716

Certificate Supplement: 650 (49 alanda 214 dal programına ait)

Diploma Supplement: 217.977

Activities conducted by the National Europass Center in 2013:

• An informative presentation was made to the students of Diyarbakır Dicle University.
• Information on Europass was given at the stands set up in the employment fairs conducted in Kocaeli, Mersin, Aydın, Hatay, Ankara, Trabzon, Kayseri, Diyarbakır and İzmir.
• Informative presentations were made to the school counsellors working in vocational schools in İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir.
• Informative presentations on the use of Europass documents were made in the opening meetings of the grants given by the National Agency within the scope of Leonardo Da Vinci and Comenius programs.
• An informative presentation was made in the Erasmus annual meeting held in Fırat University.
• The meeting of National Europass Centres held in Brussels was attended.
• Informative presentations were made with the purpose of increasing the use of Europass documents all over Turkey in cooperation with CoHE, MoNE, Turkish Employment Agency and the unions.
• Europass Monitoring and Evaluation Meeting was held.

Data of the year 2013:

Europass CVs completed in Turkey: 69.231

Language Passports completed in Turkish: 887

Organizations authorized to give mobility documents: 60

Mobility Documents: 820

Certificate Supplement: 678

Diploma Supplement: 278.142

Obtained Outputs (Brochures and Posters):

Activities conducted by the National Europass Center in 2014:

• Informative presentations were made to the students in Antalya, Bursa and Kayseri.
• Information on Europass was given at the stands set up in the employment fairs conducted in Trabzon, Kocaeli, Hatay, Trabzon and Denizli.
• Informative presentations were made to the directors of vocational and technical schools in Ankara, Adana and İzmir.
• AInformative presentations were made to the vocational counsellors working in Antalya, Bursa, İzmir and Gaziantep.
• An informative training for the fund-taking organizations was made in a meeting held by the National Agency for the owners of Vocational Education Mobility Projects and School Education Mobility Projects.
• Informative presentations on Europass were made in 9 seperate meetings held within the scope of the National Agency Erasmus + program.
• Information on Europass was given at the program ‘’Sırt Çantam’’ conducted by TRT-Voice of Turkey.   

Data of the year 2014:

Europass CVs completed in Turkey: 100.401

Language Passports completed in Turkish: 1.260

Organizations authorized to give mobility documents: 79

Mobility Documents: 822

Certificate Supplement:  797

Diploma Supplement: 459.326

Activities conducted by the National Europass Center in 2015:

• Informative presentations were made to the students in Ankara (2), İstanbul, Kırıkkale, Antalya and Hatay.
• Information on Europass was given at the stands set up in the fairs conducted in Ankara, Kocaeli, Antalya, Kayseri and Hatay.
• Informative presentations were made to the directors of vocational and technical schools in Ankara and Antalya.
• Informative presentations were made to the vocational counsellors working in 36 cities.
• Informative trainings for the fund-taking organizations were made in a meeting held by the National Agency for the owners of Vocational Education Mobility Projects and School Education Mobility Projects.
• A presentation on Europass was made to the academicians at a panel conducted by the VQA and Hacettepe University.
• Informative presentations on Europass were made in 7 seperate meetings held within the scope of the National Agency Erasmus + program.   

Data of the year 2015:

Europass CVs completed in Turkey: 183.275

Language Passports completed in Turkish: 2.557

Organizations authorized to give mobility documents: 445

Mobility Documents: 2.354

İndirilebilir Certificate Supplement: 796

Diploma Supplement: 595.407

Activities of the National Europass Center in 2016:

• Informative presentations were made to the university students in Ankara (3), Adana, Konya, Kayseri, Mersin, Malatya and Samsun.
• Information presentations were made at the stands set up in the fairs conducted in Ankara, İstanbul, Kayseri, Konya, Hatay ve Manisa.
• Informative presentations were made to the directors of Vocational and technical schools in Mersin and Eskişehir.
• 23 informative presentations were made in Ankara to vocational counsellors who work in different cities.
• Information on Europass was given at the opening meeting of Vocational Education Mobility Projects, which was realized in Ankara by the National Agency.
• Information on Europass was given at the opening meeting of the project ‘’Increasing the quality of education by supporting the vocational development of school and adult education personnel’’ (IPA IV Human Resources Development Operational Programme)
• Information on Europass was given to the public institutions, representatives of the private sector, academicians, teachers, students, job-seekers etc. at ‘’the International Occupational Health and Safety Conference’’ realized by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
• An informative presentation was made on Europass to university students, volunteers and members of NGOs at an event conducted in Samsun by the TOG Foundation.
• An informative presentation was made to the directors of public institutions in the ‘’Credit and Dormitories Institution Workshop’’ realized in Ankara.
• An informative presentation was made to the representatives of the organizations in the " National Workshop of EU Transparency and Recognition Tools" realized in Ankara by VQA.
• A year-end closing event was conducted by VQA in Ankara.
• The Europass per annum meeting which was realized in Brussels was attended.

Activities conducted by the National Europass Center in 2017:

• Informative presentations on how to prepare Europass CV with the Europass documents and their use in work life were made to the university students in Ankara (7), İstanbul (3), İzmir, Isparta, Bolu, Niğde, Adana, Van, Kars, Eskişehir, Muğla, Erzurum, Trabzon, Sivas and Ağrı.
• Informative presentations on how to prepare Europass CV with the Europass documents and their use in work life, the advantages of the certificate supplement, were made to the students of vocational and technical high schools in Ankara (3)
• Information on VQA and Europass documents was given at the stands set up in the fairs conducted in Ankara, Kocaeli, Bolu and Hatay.
• Informative presentations were made to the directors of Vocational and technical schools in Ankara, Balıkesir, Konya and Bursa on VQA and Europass documents, specifically on the advantages of certificate supplements.
• Informative presentations were made to the vocational counsellors on the Europass system and documents.
• The 8th Traffic Symposium organized in Ankara was attended.
• At the closing ceremony of the Project of Supporting the Disadvantaged Students (DEZÖDES) made in Ankara, the head of International Relations and European Union Department, made an informative presentation on behalf of VQA on the theme of ‘’cooperation towards preparing the higher education students for work-life’’.
• An informative presentation was made to the representatives of Eurodesk Contact Point at the Eurodesk Lobbying Advocacy training conducted by the National Agency in Ankara.
• An informative seminar was made to the employer representatives in Bolu on VQA and Europass documents with the cooperation of Bolu Provincial Directorate of Work and Labour and Bolu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
• The Opening Meeting of the 2017 National Agency Vocational Education Projects was attended and an informative presentation was made on the Europass mobility system.
• The briefing meeting of the implementation of ECVET principles in the Erasmus + Vocational Education Mobility Projects was attended in the city of Ankara.
• A training program on VQA, the National Europass Center and Europass documents was conducted to the representatives of the Europass Contact Point with the cooperation of the National Europass Center and the National Agency in the city of Ankara.
• "The Mobility Study Group Meeting", "the Communication and Promotion Study Group Meeting" and "the Annual National Europass Centers Meeting" conducted in Ghent/Belgium were attended.
• A "Tell your Europass Story" (Europass Hikayeni Anlat) themed video competetion was organized within the scope of the 2 European Vocational Skills Week with the purpose of raising awareness on Europass in Turkey.
• The meeting held in Brussels for the promotion of the EU Skills Profiling Tool for Third Country Nationals was attended.
• The Joint Network Meeting of European Qualifications Framework National Coordination Points, National Europass Centers and. European Guidance Centers held in Brussels was attended.
• A study visit on the effective use of Social Media, was made to Budapest .
• The Joint Meeting of Europass, EQF-NCP, Eurguidance Policy Networks held in Brussels was attended.

   Obtained Outputs (Brochures and Posters):