Vocational education and training for sustainable development

Abstract

Sustainable development is an approach to manufacturing and the transportation of goods and services in ways that respond to basic human needs and bring a better quality of life, while minimizing the use of natural resources, toxic materials and emissions of waste and pollutants over a life cycle. Changes that occur in the production period of goods due to the influence of technological developments make linear relationships between vocational education and sustainable development more important. Education and training relationships between sustainable developments is a process. It is a process of incorporating considerations that impact the long-term future of the economy, ecology and society into vocational education and training. In this paper we aim to define sustainable development and vocational education . By focusing on the Turkish vocational educational system and its contribution to sustainable development. This paper points the differences of vocational education structures in European Union Nations And Turkey during the period of 2000 - 2009. According to results of this comparison; vocational education is most widespread in Germany, United Kingdom and Denmark. Turkey has the lowest rate in vocational education student enrollments. In a conclusion the sustainability of vocational training in Turkey is likely to continue to be problematic. Governments can do more to support the sustainability of these skills development systems and need to pay attention to both public and private vocational training and education . In terms of theoretical literature vocational education is vital for combatting the youth unemployment .Turkish politicians must invest on vocational education centers to improve youth peoples employment.