According to the 56th Article of the Fundamental Law of National Education numbered 1739, the Ministry of National Education is responsible for running, monitoring and inspection of the educational and training provisions. In this respect, all of the educational provisions are open to the inspection and monitoring of the Ministry, including those provided by the state, private or volunteer organizations or institutions. Some of the state bodies that are responsible for specific parts of the adult education and training are as follows: 

Institutions and Organizations Related to Adult Education in Turkey

1. Ministry of National Education

According to the Basic Law of National Education No. 1739, the Turkish national education system consists of two main sections: formal education and non-formal education.

• Formal education contains pre-school education, primary education, and secondary education and higher education institutions.
• Non-formal education, on the other hand, covers all of the educational activities organized beside or outside formal education.

To this end, MoNE sets out national policies and strategies for each stage of education and training; implementation and monitoring of these activities.

1.1. General Directorate of Lifelong Learning (GDLL)

In order to ensure the employability and socio-cultural development of the individuals at different education and age levels; to improve their knowledge, skills and competences, to increase their access to learning, and ultimately to realize a transformation from Learning Single to Learning to Collecting and Learning Turkey, The GDoLL conducts the following duties in line with the principles and objectives of the public education centers (HEM), maturation institutes and open educational schools and national education (GDoLL, 2016 annual report):

• To establish, implement, monitor and evaluate policies to disseminate education and training in a lifelong manner, other than compulsory education.
• To carry out public education/training and open education services.
• To provide education and training in general or vocational and technical education fields through non-formal education to citizens who have not entered the formal education system, separated or finished any educational level.
• To prepare education and training programs, textbooks, educational tools and materials for non-formal education and training schools and institutions and to present them to the Board of Education and Training Board.

LLL Institutions Affiliated to the General Directorate

Number of Courses and Trainees Participated in PEC Courses in 2019

Information on Extracurricular Activities and Participants in 2019

The data obtained from e-YAYGIN Automation System for 01.01.2019 and 31.12.2019.

Most Courses Opened

When the course areas of the trainees are examined, it is seen that they mostly focus on personal development and training courses. This is followed by handicrafts and technology, sports, health, music and performing arts, literacy and foreign languages, respectively. When the course areas chosen by the trainees are examined, it is seen that they mostly go to courses in the field of personal development and education. This is followed by social services and counseling, handicrafts and technology, sports, literacy, music and performing arts and foreign languages respectively.

1.2. General Directorate of Vocational and Technical Education (GDVTE)

The General Directorate for Vocational and Technical Education (GDVTE) is the unit responsible for the preparation of vocational and technical education and training programs, the development of policies and strategies to strengthen the education-employment relationship and the coordination of activities.

In the vocational and technical secondary schools, vocational training centers and vocational and technical training centers, certificate programs for adults are organized in the fields and branches indicated in the Vocational Education Law no. 3308 except for the secondary education program.

Vocational and technical education schools and institutions may offer vocational courses, development and integration courses and special training courses within the scope of 37th, 38th and 39th items of the Law no. 3308.

2. The Ministry of Labour,  Social Services and Family 

The Ministry of Labour,  Social Services and Family was established in order to regulate and supervise working life, worker and employer relations, occupational health and safety, to provide social security opportunity, to expand and develop this possibility, to protect and develop the rights and interests of working Turkish citizens working abroad.

The Ministry of Labour,  Social Services and Family is responsible for adult education in the following ways:

• Taking measures to provide vocational training for employees,
• Taking measures to ensure vocational rehabilitation of the disabled,
• Monitoring the implementation of measures to ensure occupational health and safety,
• Compiling and publish business statistics,
• Determining the qualifications, training and certifications of those who carry out preventive and preventive health and safety risks in the workplace,
• Educating the parent to help better educate the children within the family; to this end, to offer council and social supports; running the provisions for those who need protection, care and rehabilitation;
• Protecting the unity of the family and offering support of the families who are in need of support, protection, and care; to this end, the ministry shall do the necessary planning and develop educational provisions.

2.1 Vocational Qualifications Agency (VQA)

To take necessary precautions for the establishment and operation of the professional qualification system, Vocational Qualifications Authority (VQA) was established in 2006 with the aim of establishing and operating a national qualification system that is compatible with the European Union and has been provided with international quality assurance. The VQA provides recognition and certification of learning outcomes determined by national qualifications (NQ) through the authorization of professional bodies, employer-employee unions, universities' personnel certification bodies, and independent personnel certification bodies.

The main objectives of the VQA are to establish and operate a national qualification system, to ensure that education is aligned with employment, to lead to the formation of qualified human resources, and to ensure that the activities are presented effectively and efficiently according to economic and social needs. It is among the priorities of the agency to ensure the settlement of quality assurance culture and consciousness in education and business, to promote lifelong learning and to facilitate the mobility of the workforce. VQA is not an educational institution, but coordinates the preparation of national qualifications (nq) and national qualifications (nq), taking into account the needs of the labor market, and the assessment, evaluation and certification activities based on NLs through the Accredited Certification Bodies.

2.2. Turkish Employment Agency

Turkish Employment Agency Law was reshaped with the number 4904 which was adopted by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in 25.06.2003 and came into force by being promulgated in the Official Gazette with the date 05.07.2003 and the number 25159.It is responsible for establishing an effective labor market information system, matching labor supply and demand in line with the needs of the market, facilitating employment through active labor force programs, provision of temporary income support for lost business, and regulations on working life. Within the scope of active labor services, vocational training courses, on-the-job training programs, entrepreneurship training programs, community benefit programs and other courses, programs, projects and special applications are organized. The unemployment insurance fund was created to finance the activities. Within the scope of the Fund, there are unemployment allowance, short working allowance, and payment of wage guarantee fund, half working allowance and job loss compensation (İŞKUR, 2018) in order to support the unemployed, employees and employers.

In order to increase the competitiveness and levels of small and medium-sized enterprises in meeting the economic and social needs of the country, to increase their competitiveness and levels and to carry out the integration in accordance with the economic developments in the industry, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development and Support Administration was established with Law No. 3624. KOSGEB's tasks for adult education are:

• To establish the Applied Technical Training Centers related to the organization of non-formal education programs in KOSGEB service centers, to determine training needs of enterprises and to provide necessary training,
• To take necessary precautions for the development and dissemination of entrepreneurship culture and environment and support entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs in this context.

3.Center for European Union Education and Youth Programs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (National Agency of Turkey)

Another institution that supports the projects relating to Adult Education is the Center for European Union Education and Youth Programs(Turkey National Agency) d (2011 / No. 634 was separated from the Ministry of Development with Decree was the relevant authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). On April 1, 2004, the National Agency became a full member of the EU Education and Youth Programs and started running community programs known as Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci, and Youth, which lasted until 2006. Lifelong Learning and Youth Programs were implemented in the Turkish National Agency in the period 2007-2013. The Erasmus + Program, which covers the 2014-2020 and includes the Adult Education Program, is carried out by the National Agency (Art. 2, published in R.G).

The mission of the Presidency is to carry out programs that provide financial support, learning and mobility opportunities in the field of education and youth with the European Union and other countries and international organizations. With the Erasmus + Program implemented between 2014-2020, it is aimed to provide new skills to the individuals to strengthen their personal development and to increase their employment opportunities regardless of their age and educational backgrounds. 

Erasmus + Program which started to be implemented as of 1 January 2014; education, youth, and sports in the field of different age groups and support for different target groups is the general name of the roof program. Within the Erasmus + Program, support for school education, higher education, vocational training, adult education, and youth is continuing, as in previous programs, as well as grant support for projects in the field of sports. The following are the innovations that come with Erasmus + Program:

Comenius, Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Grundtvig programs and 5 international cooperation programs (Erasmus Mundus, Tempus, Alfa, Edulink and Cooperation with Industrialized Countries) were also included under the title of Erasmus + Program. Simplified application rules and procedures were introduced with a single program and fragmented structure and duplications ended. References are made to the enterprise as Turkey's National Agency. Individual applications are not accepted.

4.The Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Livestock

The Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Livestock organizes the activities with the National Agricultural Education Center Directorate (NAECD). It continues its activities with Handicraft Training Centers and village courses (NAECD, 2018).

5. Municipalities

The Law for Municipalities numbered 5393, Mass Education Institutions Regulation of the MoNE gives the municipalities the right to opening free-of-charge vocational and general courses and programs. Ankara Metropolitan Municipality's BELTEK and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's ISMEK courses can be cited as an example.

In addition, the Union of Municipalities of Turkey (TBB) continues its activities with the aim of improving the professional skills of the staff of the Municipalities Association Academy and the local administration units. In addition, the training units established in the local municipalities organize courses in cooperation with the provincial national education directorates (TBB, 2017).

6. Professional Organizations

TOBB, TESK, and other professional organizations are responsible for organizing vocational training activities for their members. Funding of activities is financed by the funds allocated by their own resources and by the education budget.