The civil war that began in Syria in 2011 has led to one of the largest mass displacement crises of the 21st century, rendering over 6.6 million people refugees and creating unprecedented pressure on the education systems of host countries. Turkey, situated at the center of this crisis, hosts over 3.6 million Syrians due to its "open-door" policy and geographical proximity. Syrians in Turkey do not legally hold "refugee" status but are under "Temporary Protection" status within the scope of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection enacted in 2013. While this status grants them rights to access basic services such as education and health, it places their lives on a ground of legal precarity.

Educational services, which were conducted through Temporary Education Centers (TECs) in the early years of the crisis, have evolved over time into a model where Syrian children are integrated into Turkish public schools. However, statistics reveal the difficulties of integration: While the schooling rate is 75% at the primary education level, it drops to 43% at the secondary education level. This dramatic decline indicates that structural barriers such as poverty, child labor, and language barriers detach refugee youth from formal education. At precisely this point, Vocational Training Centers (VTCs) emerge as a strategic intervention tool aimed at both preventing dropout and saving refugee youth from becoming a "lost generation" by integrating them into the labor market.

The VTC model in Turkey is based on an apprenticeship system where students receive theoretical instruction at school for only one day a week and spend the remaining four days receiving practical training in enterprises. This model has become an attractive option for both refugee families struggling economically and employers seeking cheap labor, as the state covers insurance premiums and provides wage support at a certain rate of the minimum wage. However, the literature emphasizes that this utilitarian approach carries the risk of reducing education to a mere instrument meeting market demands.

This study questions whether vocational education is a "social integration and mobility" opportunity for refugee youth or a mechanism that reproduces structural inequalities and class hierarchies, as conceptualized by Bourdieu (1990). In light of critical pedagogy (Freire, 1970) and social reproduction theories, this research, focusing on the "lived experiences" of refugee students, aims to fill the gap in the existing literature. The study examines whether vocational education confines refugee youth to low-status jobs and how it shapes their democratic participation skills from a multi-stakeholder perspective (student, parent, teacher, administrator).

In line with this general framework, the main aim of the research is to analyze the experiences of Syrian refugee students registered in VTCs in Turkey and to seek answers to the following sub-objectives:

• To reveal the socio-demographic characteristics, educational backgrounds, and primary motivations (economic necessity, legal status, etc.) of refugee students attending VTCs.
• To analyze the perceptions of school administrators, teachers, and parents regarding the quality, functioning, and qualifications provided to students by vocational education.
• To identify the challenges related to social exclusion, disciplinary practices, and working conditions amounting to exploitation (long working hours, low wages, etc.) that refugee students face in both school and workplace environments.
• To evaluate the perceived impact of vocational education on refugee students' future employment prospects and social mobility.
• To discuss whether vocational education serves to reduce or reinforce socio-economic inequalities through the lens of critical pedagogy and to develop policy recommendations in the context of the principle of equity in education.

Research Design This study employed a qualitative, phenomenological design to explore the lived experiences of Syrian refugee students in Türkiye’s Vocational Training Centers (VTCs). Phenomenology was selected as the most suitable approach to capture the essence of how participants perceive and give meaning to their reality, focusing on subjective meanings and consciousness rather than generalizable statistics. Study Group Participants were selected via purposive sampling with maximum variation to ensure diverse perspectives. The study group comprised 32 participants from a VTC in Altındağ, Ankara: • 9 Students: Both school-age and adult learners, primarily from low socio-economic backgrounds. • 8 Parents: Characterized by limited formal education and low household income. • 15 Staff Members: Consisting of 8 teachers and 7 administrators, most of whom possess substantial professional and administrative experience. Data Collection Data were collected using four distinct semi-structured interview forms tailored for students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Questions addressed motivations for enrolling in VTCs, relationships with workplace masters, and the impact of training on future career plans. Interviews lasted between 30 and 60 minutes. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ministry of National Education (MoNE). Data Analysis and Rigor Data were analyzed using content analysis assisted by MAXQDA software. An inductive approach was utilized, progressing through open, axial, and selective coding stages to identify core themes. To ensure validity and reliability, the study employed expert reviews, conducted interviews in Arabic where necessary to reduce misunderstandings, and utilized investigator triangulation with two researchers independently coding the data to enhance confirmability.

Student Profile: Refugee students in VTCs predominantly originate from low socio-economic backgrounds, characterized by limited parental education, large households, and chronic financial hardship. They face intersecting challenges, including racism, social exclusion, and significant linguistic barriers, which exacerbate their academic struggles. Motivations: Enrollment is driven primarily by economic urgency and legal constraints. Students and parents prioritize rapid income generation and the acquisition of internationally valid certificates over academic goals. Furthermore, state-subsidized insurance and the legalization of their work status serve as critical incentives for both families and employers, often filling the gap left by a lack of alternative educational opportunities. Educational Setting: The educational environment is described as fragmented and insufficient. The structure of attending school only one day per week limits academic engagement and social cohesion, with students often arriving exhausted from harsh industrial work. Refugee students tend to remain isolated to avoid conflict, and the curriculum is criticized for prioritizing technical skills over broader cultural or intellectual development. Apprenticeship Conditions: Workplace settings are marked by exploitation and weak oversight. Students frequently endure excessive working hours, safety risks, and unfair wages, effectively functioning as cheap labor. Supervision is reported as insufficient, allowing abuses—ranging from wage theft to physical mistreatment by unqualified masters—to persist unchecked. Emergent Themes: Education is viewed largely through an instrumental lens as a survival strategy for employability. Additionally, concerns emerged regarding the labor market, with educators fearing that the influx of low-wage refugee apprentices might depress local wages and alter the economic fabric

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