The process of liberalization of international trade rapidly increasing in the recent years and the intensifying global competition necessitates the transfer of products and the production factors in the fastest and most cost-effective manner When transportation sector’s role particularly in the transportation which is expected to increase it taken into account, it is quite important that the employed workforce accords to the process with regards to quality and that it supports the process. More than half of those who are working in the sector comprise of drivers. In the EU countries, the transportation sector provides more than 10 million jobs in total, and make up 4,5% of the total employment. The EU mission aimed at rendering the growth in the transportation sector proportional to the economic growth is also included in the White Book of 2001. It also includes numerous provisions and suggestions related with the intracity public transportation and road safety. In Turkey, driver trainings are legally given in a classroom through face-to-face education. The education centers can sometimes use certain digital education materials in order to assist the trainees. It is thought that in the digital era we’re living in, where accessing and acquiring information has become so easy, it’s essential to make use of these tools during the training of the drivers. Training environments which they can easily access and benefit from should be very attractive for the drivers, especially considering that they are constantly on the move as required by their profession. In the application conducted under the authority of Ministry of National Education General Directorate for Private Education Institutions, which is one of the project partners, theoretical and practical evaluation examinations are carried out following the training for the driver qualification certification classified and named as SRC 1-2-3-4 certifications It is needed for the effectiveness and efficiency of these examinations to be increased both in terms of the trainees and also the Ministry of National Education and the digital based examination contents to be enriched. Preparation of a professional standard, competence and training program for the commercial vehicle drivers throughout the EU, provision and evaluation of these trainings through novel training methods gives our project a transnational quality. Through our project, the general condition of the driver profession will be observed and compared in the EU and the partner countries, the developments will be transferred to the training programs, and by giving the new training methods a chance, the opportunity to access knowledge, training modules and materials for certain parts of the training as well as to develop themselves will be provided to the drivers, who, due to being mobile, have limited time to participate in the trainings on a regular basis. Also, the VET providers will have expanded their visions and covered a lot of ground towards providing more effective and efficient services through the new training-teaching methods. The main parties of the topic of training of the commercial vehicle drivers in Turkey, Italy, Spain and Germany come together with this project collaborate in order to develop strategies at the international level. The target group of our project includes commercial vehicle owners (100), trainers who give driver trainings (70), employers (60), education center administrators (5 ) and public and social parties related with the sector (135). At the end of the project activities; • A report that addresses the evaluation of the legislation regulating the profession of the drivers employed in the road transportation sector in the project’s partner countries, the definition of their profession, the professional standards and national qualifications, trainings, examinations and certifications, the training methods and materials used during the trainings, etc, • An analysis study where the expectations of the drivers, driver trainers and the employers in the partner countries from the vocational training, • An analysis study where the professional standards, national qualifications and the training programs related with the professions in the EU and the partner countries are compared and the differences between them are presented, • A competence map, training methodology and training program for the professions related with the goods and passenger transportation, prepared in participation with all of the project partners in such a manner that will meet the needs of the parties in the sector, • Training and examination infrastructure and materials prepared to be used in the pilot driver training based on the joint training program in question, • Testing and reporting of the training methods and materials in all of the partner countries on the drivers and trainers and manuals that will provide guidance to the drivers and trainers will be prepared.
The aim of our project is; to ensure that the drivers employed in the road transportation sector gain the transferrable professional knowledges, skills and competencies through the utilization of digital technologies in the trainings and examinations and to strengthen the capacity for conducting international business and the communication networks of the vocational education-training providers and other social parties in this sector. By implementing the project: it was intended; - To contribute to the studies that will ensure that the professional qualifications and professional documents of the drivers who transport passengers are recognized in the EU countries and that will support their mobility, - To encourage the use of new training methods and technologies (such as preparing interactive digital materials, providing distance training) in driver training, - Contributing to the digitalization of drivers and trainers, increasing their digital competencies, - Contributing to the representatives of partner countries and organizations to share their knowledge and experience and to develop a culture of learning and working together, - Contributing to the creation of a common EU culture.
Driver training in Turkey is legally given in classrooms through face-to-face training. Training centers may use some digital training materials from time to time to support trainees. In the digital age we are in, where it is very easy to access and obtain the information, it is thought that it is necessary to use these tools in the training of drivers. Especially considering that they are constantly mobile due to their profession, educational environments that they can easily access and benefit from will be attractive for the drivers. In the practice carried out under the authority of the Ministry of National Education, General Directorate of Private Education Institutions (MEB ÖÖKGM), one of the project partners, theoretical and practical evaluation exams are held after the trainings for the professional qualifications of drivers classified as SRC 1-2-3-4 documents. There is a need to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of these exams for both the trainee and the Ministry of National Education, and to enrich the digital-based exam contents. The preparation of a valid occupational standard, qualification and training program for commercial vehicle drivers throughout the EU, the delivery and evaluation of these trainings with new learning methods ensure the transnational character of our project. With our project, the general situation of the driving profession in the EU and partner countries was observed and compared, the developments were transferred to the training programs, new training methods were tried, and the drivers were given the opportunity to improve their professional competence by accessing training materials without time and space limits. VET providers have also expanded their vision with new education and training methods, and they have come a long way in providing more effective and efficient services.