Problems faced by stakeholders in the implementation of vocational training courses in businesses for students in the information technology field training at vocational training centers and solution proposals

For the development of our country, our students should choose a profession in line with their own desires and abilities. The support of our education system in this regard will play a major role in the economic development of our country. It is important for the system to provide information about professions and to strengthen the relationship between students and their working life. This issue should be given importance for the development of human resources in our country. In this context, vocational training centers continue their work to meet our country's need for skilled workers. Through vocational training courses implemented in businesses, students apply the theoretical knowledge they have learned in the field. The professional processes of students in the field of Information Technologies in their vocational application courses are observed by coordinator teachers appointed by the Ministry of National Education. The educational staff at the workplace where the student is employed plays a crucial role in teaching the profession and professional ethics. As long as these three pillars work in collaboration, the sector will continue to produce qualified personnel (Özkan, 2023). The aim of this study is to identify the issues arising from the perspectives of students, coordinating teachers, and educational staff at workplaces and to offer recommendations. The research design used was the phenomenological research design. In the study, interviews were conducted with Information Technology field coordinator teachers working in vocational schools in Sakarya province during the 2023-2024 academic year, Information Technology field students taking vocational education courses in companies, and the educational staff responsible for these students. A total of 16 people were interviewed, including 6 teachers, 6 students, and 4 educational staff members. After conducting a literature review, information was collected using a semi-structured interview form consisting of open-ended questions. The semi-structured interview form consisted of a total of 26 questions, including 13 for students, 7 for teachers, and 6 for educational staff members. Sub-questions were prepared to ensure the flow of the conversation, to obtain more information, and to enable participants to provide multifaceted answers, thereby ensuring the continuation of the interview. These data were analyzed in depth using content analysis methods. Concepts and codes related to the research were created from the collected data. Categories were formed from the related codes. Themes were then derived from the categories. The analysis was conducted under these headings. The results of the study showed that educational staff made a significant contribution to the process of adapting students to the workplace and work rules. It was observed that master instructors in companies used the learning-by-doing method to transfer their professional knowledge to students, and that this method was accepted by the students. It was stated that the duties of coordinator teachers began before the orientation process of students in the company. The contribution of occupational safety training provided at school and frequent information sessions on legal rights to students' professional lives was frequently mentioned. It was concluded that coordinating teachers act as a bridge between the school and the workplace to ensure that legal processes proceed smoothly after students begin working. It was concluded that the reasons why students feel more connected to the workplace than to the school are the workplace's technological capabilities, the salary offered to the student, and the student's adoption of an employee identity. Keywords: Vocational Education, Employment, Economic Development.