VET Training in İzmir: Pilot Implementation of the EcoCraft Skills Program
A six-day vocational training program was carried out in İzmir as the main pilot implementation of the EcoCraft Skills curriculum. The training brought together 21 professionals from the design and handcraft sectors, providing an opportunity to apply the newly developed modules in a practical setting and evaluate their effectiveness with real users.
Hosted at the Izmir Design Factory, the training covered all eight modules of the EcoCraft program. The sessions combined theoretical foundations with hands-on exercises, allowing participants to engage directly with topics such as sustainable material selection, circular production, waste reduction strategies and life-cycle thinking. The practical nature of the workshops encouraged participants to reflect on their own production processes and explore environmentally responsible alternatives.
Throughout the six days, group activities, case studies and application-based tasks helped assess how well the modules functioned in practice. Trainers and participants provided daily feedback, offering insights that were later used to refine the guidebook, adjust methodological details and improve the toolkit. This iterative approach ensured that the program remained both relevant and accessible to a diverse professional audience.
The training also facilitated knowledge exchange among participants with varying levels of experience. Discussions and collaborative tasks highlighted different working methods across disciplines and contributed to a richer interpretation of sustainability in design and craft contexts.
The İzmir training served as a critical validation stage for the EcoCraft Skills program. By testing the modules in a real learning environment, the partners were able to confirm the content’s applicability, strengthen the instructional flow and identify areas requiring further support or clarification. The outcomes of this pilot informed the final adjustments to the project outputs and contributed directly to the quality and usability of the materials made available afterwards.
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