Şenay Akyıldız holds her Bachelor’s degree in economics from Ankara University and a Master’s degree in economics from Middle East Technical University. During her graduate education, in 2010, she started working for TEPAV as a Research Associate. She continued her career at TEPAV as a Project Manager between January 2016 – March 2021. During this period, she conducted several projects related to the labor market, vocational qualifications, vocational training, and forced migration. After this long period of experience, as of 19th March 2021, she became the Managing Director of TEPAV.

Vocational Training Needs Analysis and Pilot Implementation Project, funded by JPMorgan Chase Foundation, was one of her most important projects since it has a meaningful contribution to vocational education and training. A training module, named Problem Based Training (PBT), was designed to create a unique learning environment for students in the project. Because of PBT, students had the opportunity to gain soft and technical skills which are in line with 21st-century skills.

Akyıldız has involved the preparation of the 11th Development Plan of Turkey as the reporter of the Improving the Quality of Vocational Education Working Group. She prepared the Torino Process 2018-2020 Turkey National Report for the European Training Foundation on behalf of MoNE.

Akyıldız has coordinated many forced migration-related projects. Among these projects, the EU-funded Mahir Eller Project is the most important one in terms of its scope, budget, and targets. The main objective of Mahir Eller is to increase the employability of Syrians under Temporary Protection and host community members through testing and certification of their existing vocational qualifications. Akyıldız was the team leader of the Project until March 2021. She is still contributing to the project as a consultant.

Lastly, as a member of the Technical Council, Akyıldız contributes to the implementation process of the Protocol of Cooperation in Vocational Training, signed in February 2019, by TOBB, TOBB Economy and Technology University, and MoNE.

 

Şenay Akyıldız,  worked at TEPAV from April 2010 to November 2022.