This study seeks to identify sustainable competitive advantages of Gorgan VET private institutes. These advantages were identified based on the dimensions of quality, efficiency, customer responsiveness and innovation. The target community, directors and founders of VET private institutes in Gorgan, were 453 people who work in 206 institutes. Random sampling was done by observing the sample by Morgan table 210, respectively. The data gathering tool included information from previous documents and records, and a researcher-made questionnaire to collect experts' comments to identify competitive advantages, as well as another researcher-made questionnaire for obtaining the views of sample individuals to determine the importance and priority of the competitive advantages identified by VET private institutes. The reliability of the questionnaire using Cronbach's alpha coefficient was equal to 968/0. The face and content validity of the questionnaire was evaluated by a group of experts and experts in various disciplines and counselors. Considering the fact that the information was collected from sample people in the form of confirmatory factor analysis, the validity of the questionnaire was confirmed during the tests by the software.

This article is extracted from a research project entitled "Developing internal and external performance evaluation model for private technical and professional institutions in East Azrabayjan province", which has been implemented in 2014. To implement the survey "CIPP" model is used. The data gathering tool was a questionnaire survey that was developed with feedback from experts and professors concerned. Using "CIPP" model, first was extracted goals of vocational organization in relation to the private technical and professional institutions and so were identified factors and indicators and components of internal and external performance evaluation for private technical and professional institutions. Factor analysis technique is used to ensure the suitability of the data and samples and variables. Finally, an appropriate model was offered to internal and external performance evaluation of private technical and professional institutions. The model of the survey was presented with three factors and nine components and 102 Indicators.

This article is intended to identify the causes of the trainee’ s reduction in private vocational and technical institutes. According to the purpose, exploratory mixed research method was selected as the appropriate method of research. The research method consists of two qualitative and quantitative steps. In the qualitative stage, the data were collected using thematic analysis and conducting targeted and in-depth interviews with 20 experts in technical and vocational education. Then, with the initial coding and the definition of the main and sub-themes, Factors affecting the reduction of trainees in private technical and vocational institutes were identified. In the quantitative stage, a questionnaire was set up based on the results of the first stage interviews. The statistical sample at this stage was 270 managers and founders of private technical and vocational institutes in East Azarbaijan province. Data was collected through a questionnaire categorized using exploratory factor analysis. That way, the effective factors on the reduction of trainees were re-identified. The results of exploratory factor analysis were in line with the results of Thematic Analysis. The results of both qualitative and quantitative methods indicate that institute factors (physical resources, human and finance resources, educational programs and educational marketing), organizational factors (content, policy, support, evaluation) and environmental factors (competitors, labor market, community culture, laws and government policies) are three major factors affecting the reduction of trainees in private technical and vocational institutes.

This study investigated the strategies of developing entrepreneurship in technical and professional institutes of Islamic Azad University. The research method was descriptive. The research population and sample consisted of all heads of educational and cultural centers, heads and deputies of Sama Technical and Vocational Centers in the whole country which consisted of 345 subjects. The research tool was a researcher made questionnaire which had 100 multiple-choice items based on the Likert Scale and its validity was confirmed by twenty experts and its reliability was investigated through applying Alpha Cronbach's formula (i.e., 0.86). The results showed that the most important strategies for entrepreneurship development in Technical and Professional Institutes are: creating a culture of entrepreneurship, creating entrepreneurial management, development of entrepreneurship education, creating entrepreneurial structures, commercializing research activities, development of continuous learning, supplying entrepreneurial finance, entrepreneurial marketing and entrepreneurship development through creative and innovative human resources in Islamic Azad University.

The purpose of this study was to identify and prioritize the factors affecting the empowerment of Free Technical and Vocational Schools using FAHP and FTOPSIS techniques. The statistical population of this research included the experts and managers of the Technical and Professional Organization of 14 Free Technical and Vocational Schools in Isfahan Province, numbering 35 people. To identify the effective factors affecting empowerment of these schools using the Delphi method, after reviewing the background, 14 experts were interviewed. Indicators were extracted from the research literature reviewed and approved by experts. Finally, 4 main criteria and 14 sub-criteria affecting the performance of Free Technical and Vocational Schools as well as 13 solutions for empowering schools were identified. A questionnaire was used to make pairwise comparisons. The combined approach of FAHP was used to weight the criteria and FTOPSIS was used to identify and prioritize the enablers of Free Technical and Vocational Schools. The results indicate that in the ranking of solutions, the empowerment criteria of "implementation of skills training tailored to local and regional needs" and "removal of the ban on employing government employees as the founder of schools" were respectively ranked in first and last places.