Within the framework of the EU Erasmus+ KA220-VET programme carried out with the support of the National Agency, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University successfully completed the first workshop that will contribute to the determination of occupational standards of technicians within the scope of the project titled ‘Development of Vocational Skills of Electromechanical Technicians for Unmanned Aircraft Maintenance and Repair’. The project, numbered 2023-1-TR01-KA220-VET-000151085, is coordinated by Balıkesir University in cooperation with Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University and Mellis Education Technologies.
The workshop was hosted by the Faculty of Agriculture and was well attended by academia and sectoral leaders. In the opening session, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Rector Prof. Dr. R. Cüneyt Erenoğlu, Faculty of Agriculture Acting Dean Prof. Dr. Arda Aydın, Balıkesir University Edremit School of Civil Aviation Director Prof. Dr. Abdullah Soykan, ÇOMU Project Coordinator Dr. Cumali Yaşar and project partner Caner Anda from Mellis Education Technologies delivered speeches.
Prof. Dr. Cumali Yaşar made evaluations on the future of autonomous vehicles, Caner Anda on the importance of professional qualifications, and Prof. Dr. Abdullah Soykan on the outputs of the project. Rector Prof. Dr. R. Cüneyt Erenoğlu emphasised the effects of UAV technologies on the sector.
On the first day of the workshop, Prof Dr Cafer Türkmen made a presentation titled ‘The Rise of Autonomous Vehicles: Revolution in Air, Land and Maritime Transportation’, Prof. Dr. Cafer Türkmen made a presentation. Afterwards, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Seyhun Durmuş gave information on ‘Comparative Evaluation of Developments in Drone Components and Control Software’, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gültekin Basmacı from Mehmet Akif Ersoy University gave information on ‘Drone Design and Construction’. Assoc. Prof. Ünal Battal from Eskişehir Technical University made presentations on the UAV market and financing, and Zülhice Gözcan from Trakya University on the cyber security aspects of autonomous vehicle technologies and their importance for technicians.
MAYFly Aviation General Manager Elek. Eng. Yasin Çelik, General Manager of MAYFly Aviation, made a presentation on ‘Rotary Wing UAV Systems and Future’ and presented information to the participants with a technology demo. In the final sessions of the workshop, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Can Aktaş, Dr. Tülay Dargut Güler and Dr. Zafer Karadayı from Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University further elaborated the application framework of the project. Electronic Engineers Yasin Çelik and Abdullah Çakıroğlu from MAYFly Aviation, known for their work on UAV technologies, shared their experiences with the participants.
The second day of the workshop started under the leadership of Mellis Education Technologies managers Caner Anda and Elif Anda. In the first session of the day, workshop task forms were distributed to the participants and detailed information was given about the application methods. The session was attended by Prof. Dr. Abdullah Soykan and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Seyhun Durmuş from Balıkesir University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gültekin Basmacı from Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ünal Battal from Eskişehir Technical University, and Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University researcher technician; Assist. Assist. Prof. Dr. Cumali Yaşar, Prof. Dr. Cafer Türkmen, Assoc. Dr. Can Aktaş, Assoc. Assoc. Dr Tülay Dargut Güler, Dr Zafer Karadayı participated. Among the sector representatives, MAYFly Aviation’s Elk. Eng. Yasin Çelik, Abdullah Çakıroğlu from MAYFly Aviation; IT. Eng. Mehmet Arpa from ETIYA and PhD student Zülhice Özcan from Trakya University.
In the second session, under the title of ‘Application of Occupational Analysis Form’, an intensive study on the skill sets and occupational standards required for electromechanical technicians was carried out. This session included the assessment of which tasks technicians perform, how often and how complex they are, through the occupational analysis form. The session ended with important data for the purpose of improving the professional competences of the participants and developing training programmes in line with the needs of the sector.
In this part of the workshop, the tools used for repairing, removing and installing parts, troubleshooting basic electronics, replacing parts and calibrating drones were covered in detail. In addition, more advanced skills such as conducting flight tests and troubleshooting complex sensor and communication issues were emphasised. These hands-on training sessions were of great importance in preparing the technicians for field applications.
The second day of the UAVET project contributed to the goal of raising professional standards in the industry by equipping electromechanical technicians with practical and theoretical knowledge of the challenges they will face in aircraft maintenance and repair. The workshop enabled participants to learn the latest techniques and best practices in their field and strengthened the co-operation between industry and academia.’
This workshop is considered as a strategic step towards increasing Turkey’s trained human resources in the field of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle technologies. Within the scope of the project, it is planned to train 100 students in accordance with these standards in the process of determining vocational training models and standards.
