The DigiRail (VET) Project of the Republic of Turkey State Railways (TCDD), which started a development journey in the field of digital education in railways, was approved in the international arena and made our country proud.
Erasmus+ Vocational Education Strategic Partnerships Digital Education Preparation Activity In the 2020 call for proposals, “Digitization in Railway Education – DigiRAIL(VET)” was among the projects deemed worthy of grant support by the European Union Education and Youth Programs Center (Turkish National Agency).
TCDD officials and project partners, who organized a program at The Ankara Hotel (Ankara High Speed Train Station), introduced the "DigiRAIL(VET)" Project.
Stating that as TCDD, they started a development journey in terms of both digital personnel mobility and digital training activities, General Manager Ali İhsan Uygun said, “Online trainings presented within the Turkish Railway Academy; provides a training environment where our employees can reach whenever they want and wherever they want. The continuity and frequency of these digital training contents were increased especially during the epidemic, and it played an important role both in meeting the need and in diversifying the education perception formed in the minds of the employees. It is obvious that old habits cannot be returned after the epidemic process. It seems inevitable that there will be new solutions in the sectoral and social sense. These processes are; will shape the education and working life of the future”.
Stating that they see the European Union projects as an important resource and platform, General Manager Uygun said, “I attach great importance to the studies initiated with this project in terms of developing mixed education supported by online and face-to-face training for vocational education, and using the conveniences of the digital world, which is already a part of our lives, in railway education. Every step taken in this area will undoubtedly make our goals closer and more concrete for us. We see European Union projects as an important source and platform in the process of evaluating our training and development needs in line with the strategic goals of our sector. We have implemented and continue to implement important infrastructure projects within the scope of IPA funds. Within the scope of the European Union Pre-Accession Financial Assistance, a grant fund of 1 million Euros has been successfully used in the IPA-475 period for the Ankara-Istanbul Line Köseköy-Gebze Section, Irmak-Karabük-Zonguldak Railway Line and Samsun-Kalın Railway Line Projects. Halkalı-The Kapikule Railway Line Project is the largest infrastructure project carried out by our Ministry in the IPA-II Period. The 275 million Euro fund amount is the project that the European Union funds the candidate countries the most in a single item within the scope of IPA.” said
General Manager Ali İhsan Uygun continued his speech as follows; “We need a qualified human resource in order to efficiently implement the railway investments carried out throughout the European Union and our country and to create a strong railway industry. It is our greatest desire to add value to our sector in cooperation by opening our doors to knowledge and experience sharing and thus development for a sustainable and competitive railway sector. I would like to thank the European Union Presidency, the Turkish National Agency, our project partners and all our experts who contributed to the preparation of the project for supporting our DigiRail project, which will focus on the development and digitalization of railway education.
Finally, TCDD has been among the distinguished institutions of our country, which has been awarded the Erasmus Accreditation. I sincerely congratulate our project team, which is an important tool for cross-border exchange and cooperation in the field of vocational education, and who has enabled us to receive regular grant support for mobility activities for five years.”
Making a speech at the introductory meeting, General Manager of TCDD Taşımacılık A.Ş. Hasan Pezük said, “With this project, new generation training methods will be used, and new generation training materials will be developed, unlike classical training methods, especially in the training of safety critical personnel working in the railway sector. With the Digi-Rail (VET) Project, digital training materials will be prepared for 5 safety-critical professions in railways, and an obvious added value will be created in the learning lives of those working in these professions. In addition, the project is in line with the objectives of the European Union, realizing lifelong learning and mobility, increasing the quality and efficiency of education and training, encouraging creativity and innovation, increasing social inclusion and employability.
General Manager Pezük, who also gave information about Erasmus Accreditation in the vocational training they prepared in cooperation with TCDD, said, “Our cooperation with TCDD, among the strategic, well-established and powerful institutions and companies of our country; It was accredited by the Turkish National Agency, as it was deemed worthy of support with a high score. Within the scope of Erasmus accreditation; By cooperating with the representatives of the railway sector in Europe, by enabling the railwaymen to specialize in technical and professional fields, especially the concept of railway safety, and to increase their knowledge, skills and experience; We will organize activities such as training and internships. Fund support will be received in the areas I have mentioned in accordance with the internationalization strategy we have prepared for the 2021-2027 period.
TCDD General Manager Ali İhsan Uygun and TCDD Transportation General Manager Hasan Pezük, as well as project partners Certifer Company Turkey Representatives and Croatia Zagreb University officials attended the meeting through the zoom program.
Within the scope of the meeting, an Erasmus Plus Accreditation Memorandum of Understanding was signed between TCDD and TCDD Tasimacilik.
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