Environmental Engineering Education in Türkiye within the Framework of Capacity Building in Vocational Education and Training (CB VET) Approach

In this study, the current structure of environmental engineering undergraduate programmes in Türkiye has been evaluated in a multidimensional manner through informal interviews with graduates and sector representatives and data-driven analyses from open sources. Within the scope of the study, the capacity building in vocational education and training (CB VET) approach, which attaches great importance to the improvement of vocational and technical education, was evaluated as an important approach that could increase the institutional capacity of environmental engineering programs. According to this competency-based education model, specialization of faculty members, regular feedback from the sector and graduates, improvement of laboratory and field facilities, and dissemination of long-lasting workplace practices such as 7+1, which accelerate the processes of students learning to solve problems and gaining experience in the field, are important. Accreditation processes such as MÜDEK and ABET institutionalize continuous improvement cycles for programs and thus ensure that the curriculum remains up-to-date. In conclusion, adopting the CB VET approach in environmental engineering programs in Türkiye will be a strategic step in training engineers who are sensitive to current environmental problems and have high industry skills with a level of quality assurance that meets international standards. In this way, both students with the competencies demanded by the industry can be graduated and their employability can be increased, and the lack of qualified human resources in the implementation of national environmental policies can be resolved.