Led by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) in partnership with Turkey Economic Policies Research Foundation (TEPAV), implemented with European Union finance, the Expert Hands Project (“Mahir Eller” Project) will determine the professional skills of 30,000 people and competence of 20,000 people will be documented; employment will be provided for 3,000 people.
The
launch meeting of Expert Hands Project was hosted by TOBB President M. Rifat
Hisarcıklıoğlu and was attended by Family, Labor and Social Services Minister
Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk and the Head of EU Delegation Ambassador Christian Berger.
TOBB
President Hisarcıklıoğlu said in his speech that Turkey is confronted with the
most severe refugee problem since World War II. Reporting that 7 million Syrians
have been forced to leave their country during the civil war, Hisarcıklıoğlu
said that half of these people were accommodated in Turkey.
Hisarcıklıoğlu,
pointing out that 32 billion US have been spent to facilitate the lives of
Syrians in Turkey, “We wrap the wounds in our region in order to ensure peace
and tranquility. Because we know there is no trade without peace and no
prosperity without trade. Therefore, the asylum issue, is as much an economics
issues as it is a political one. We are working to heal the wounds to the
economy while our government is working to heal the political wounds.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu
reported that the project will first focus on Adana, Bursa, Gaziantep, Hatay,
İstanbul, İzmir, Kayseri, Kilis, Konya, Mardin, Mersin and Şanlıurfa which are
hosting the most Syrians; and that they aimed to reach people with vocational
proficiency, experience and in search of better working conditions.
- “Our government showed that they
stand with us.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu,
stating that project participants will find work easier as well as contributing
to companies and Turkey, said:
“I
would like to invite all of our companies in our 12 cities to become volunteer
employers to ‘live together and work together.’ Our government has shown that they
stand with us. 10% of the total cost for the new employer will be met for 6
months during the project. Our employers will be able to receive consultancy
from our chambers in 12 cities for all processes in this project.”
Stating
that this project is not just an employment project, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that
30,000 people will increase their professional proficiency and skills.
Hisarcıklıoğlu
stated that they are aiming to maintain a 35-65% rate between Syrian refugees
and Turkish citizens throughout the project, “It is not only our refugee
brothers which will benefit from it but all of Turkey.”
- What will the Expert Hands
Project bring?
With
this project, TOBB is implementing an important project for the participation
of Syrians under temporary protection and Turkish citizens in economic life.
The project is financed by the European Union and has a budget of 15 million
Euros. Conducted in partnership by TOBB and Economic Policy Research Foundation
of Turkey (TEPAV), “Living and Working Together: Syrians Under Temporary
Protection in Turkey Economy Integration – Expert Hands Project” aims to reach
a total of 30,000 people.
Launched
with the slogan “Document your profession, make a difference”, the main
objective of the project is to increase the employability of Syrians under
temporary protection and Turkish citizens by documenting their current
professional skills.
- 3,000 people to be employed
Two-year-long
“Expert Hands Project” will be implemented in Adana, Bursa, Gaziantep, Hatay,
Istanbul, Izmir, Kayseri, Kilis, Konya, Mardin, Mersin and Şanlıurfa in which the
Syrian population under temporary protection in Turkey are mostly located.
Within the scope of the project which will be realized in cooperation with
Chambers of Commerce and Industry in these provinces, a skill map of 30,000
will be formed and their professional competencies will be determined. Of
these, 20,000 will be taken into professional qualification examinations and
15,000 will be certified. 3,000 people will be employed. In addition, 2,000
people will benefit from Turkish language courses.
- Everybody will win
There
will be incentives for every sector in the project. Syrian refugees working or
seeking temporary employment and Turkish citizens, as well as vocational and
technical education students preparing to enter the labor market can
participate in the project.
Approximately
1,000 firms are targeted to be voluntary employers in 12 provinces where the
project will be implemented. The firms will have the opportunity to employ
people who are certified with professional qualifications. They will have the
opportunity to certify their professional qualifications free of charge as a
part of the project. In addition, various incentives will be given for the
companies which employ people as a part of the project. These incentives will
be for the payment of work permit fees and 10 percent of the total cost of the
new employee for 6 months. Employers will benefit from this incentive for all
employees employed as a part of the project. In the process, companies will receive
consultation on the legal processes related to the employment of Syrians under
temporary protection.
- Many Firsts
The
project embodies many firsts in Turkey. The project will enable individuals
with a profession to certify their professional qualifications to make it
easier to find jobs in appropriate fields. The certification will be carried
out through examinations by authorized certification bodies within the
framework of the national qualifications issued by the Vocational Qualification
Authority.
With
this project, the needs analysis of the labor market in provinces will be
carried out. Professional knowledge and skills of the people living in the
region will be determined. People who can’t provide any diploma or certificate
in war conditions can have a document proving their skills. The basic skill
needs of a thousand companies operating will be determined.
Currently
there is no other project which aims to provide 20,000 people with professional
certification exams and facilitate the employment of 3,000 people. TOBB's
leadership as the umbrella organization of the private sector in Turkey in the
realization of the most important "Expert Hands Project" stands out
among the factors which makes stand out.
- Where does the project name come
from?
“Mahir,”
a word of Arabic origin, means skilled, expert, knows his job, master. Mahir
Eller (Expert Hands) is the master of his profession, a veteran of his
profession, those with professional qualification. With this project, it is
aimed to reach out to the people who seek to have better working conditions by
proving that they have professional competence and accumulation. The project
calls out the slogan, “For a better life, for a better job; Document your
profession, stand out,” to those who are proficient in their profession.