MEDEK is ready for site visits.

The Vocational Education Evaluation and Accreditation Association (MEDEK), which aims to contribute to the formation of a qualified workforce by evaluating vocational higher education programs, held an informational meeting for team leaders prior to field visits.

Established with the aim of certifying that vocational school programs in Turkey meet specified standards, quality criteria, and performance indicators, MEDEK was founded with the support of Sakarya University of Applied Sciences (SUBÜ) to contribute to the shaping of the qualified workforce of the future. The meeting took place at a hotel in Sakarya with the participation of 70 academics designated as team leaders from various universities. The opening speech was delivered by Prof. Dr. Mehmet Sarıbıyık, Chairman of the MEDEK Board of Directors, while Prof. Dr. Remzi Gören, Chairman of the MEDEK Vocational Education and Accreditation Board (MEK), made a general presentation. Subsequently, Assoc. Prof. Dr. İsa Vural, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Technology at SUBÜ, presented on the ‘Field Evaluation Process,’ and Dr. Furkan Korkmaz, MEDEK MEK General Secretary, delivered a presentation on the ‘Program Evaluation System.’ After the presentations, questions from the team leaders were answered. MEDEK will begin field evaluations on September 23. Initially, the evaluation process will be carried out for 110 vocational schools and 230 programs that meet the evaluation criteria from 43 universities.

Emphasizing that MEDEK’s accreditation efforts will contribute to raising the level of vocational education in Turkey, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Sarıbıyık stated, “It is particularly important for students graduating from vocational schools today to acquire qualifications and graduate with the competencies desired in the field. The lack of an accreditation organization that could set achievable standards for many years has hindered reaching the desired level. MEDEK was established to take a step to utilize our experience in the field of vocational schools for accreditation as well. In a short time, the relevant committees of the association were formed. The necessary permits and documents for accreditation were obtained from the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and the Higher Education Quality Board (YÖKAK). Trainings were completed, and the first applications were received. Teams of four were formed for accreditation evaluations. With this informational meeting, we are ready to go into the field. I wish success to all our teams.”