EDUCATION IN PRACTICE: EFFECTS OF VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS/CURRICULUM ON PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS AND FINDING EMPLOYMENT

Students from primary school to higher education state and also it has been observed that they do not know how to apply the knowledge and skills they acquired in schools to solve real life problems. Modern and innovative educational models have therefore increasingly changed their focus to the application of knowledge in real-life situations, practice-based competencies and performance. Practice-oriented learning experience (non-university environment) in workplaces with real-life conditions can make a huge difference in creating meaningful learning and provide opportunities to apply knowledge and skills. The integration of vocational practices and experiences into the learning environment and curriculum as well as getting feedback and assessments can help learners to improve not only in their field of study but also in their communicative and problem-solving skills which are needed to be successful while cooperating with others. Integrating vocational practices into higher education courses might be an important tool in creating opportunities for students to learn in effective and sustainable ways. Studies in vocational learning environment can also help educators in curriculum development and design, which, in turn, enables them develop effective learning experiences. For this reason, this paper aims to present an overview of the relationship between a vocational program/curriculum and post-graduation success in a profession and finding employment. The sample consisted of civil engineers who graduated from two different faculties-Engineering Faculty and Faculty of Technology at Suleyman Demirel University in Isparta in 2016. The curricula of these two Civil Engineering departments, the number and content of the applied courses, internships and workplace practices (if these kinds of opportunities of practices exist) were analyzed to find out the effects of these factors on finding employment and professional success. In addition, we have created interview forms and conducted a survey in order to collect data whereby we have collected more information to examine the data meticulously.