TÜRKİYE is a wealthy country in human resources required to actualize investment and fully utilize production capacity. There are 5 million 200 thousand people in the 14-17 age group. This group of young people form the potential group demanded by the new investments and capacity increases. Another 1.6 million students are receiving education in vocational and technical high schools.

There has been a particular focus on vocational middle schools in recent years, and additionally, the student profile of these schools (vocational-technical Anatolian high schools) has been changing. Young people enthusiastic about technical training and wish to work in industry, manufacturing, and high-tech areas are beginning to prefer these schools more, especially with the encouraging implementations of recent years. The new-generation vocational schools opening in many cities, Istanbul and Ankara being in the first place, have included the students who remain in Türkiye’s highest success percentile. These students, raised in various areas ranging from chemistry to cyber security and electronics to aircraft maintenance, form the potential group to fulfil the industry’s human resources demand.

THE SCHOOLS AT ORGANIZED INDUSTRIAL SITES

Moreover, vocational schools are active within organized industrial sites (OSB). Ninety vocational high schools have been opened at the OSBs to raise qualified young people in the industry required by the industry. Only in these schools are eighty thousand students receiving education.

Additionally, the vocational academies are launched to train the human resources in the highest ranks. These vocational academies remain in the industry as well as the university campuses. Four thousand three hundred fifteen students have been receiving training in the 16 vocational academies inside the OSBs.

Seventy-four programs in line with the activity areas of many sectors are carried out in these academies. Various support mechanisms are implemented to maintain these students’ education and increase their workforce participation.

TECHNOLOGY AREAS

Some of the programs included in the vocational academies in the organized industrial zones are: Alternative energy sources technology, biomedical device technology, digital factory technologies, electric/ electrical energy generation, transmission and distribution, electronic technology, industrial product design, industrial mould-making, food technology, climatization and cooling technology, wielding technology, logistics, machinery, mechatronics, automotive technology, polymer technology and textile technology.

100 THOUSAND EXPERTS IN R&D

The number of people working in research and development studies in high-tech branches after their university education has also rapidly increased. Technology development zones are turning into bases where well-qualified human resources with high education are trained. The graduates of bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the growing number of Türkiye’s technology parks and incubation centres are directed to professional activities in their areas of interest and enhance their know-how by remaining in high-tech projects. Over 100 thousand R&D staff are employed at the technology parks in Türkiye. These platforms host nearly 10 thousand startups and contain 2,600 incubation firms. These companies host a growing number of people who commercialize their ideas and offer rising opportunities to investors.

The highest employment level in the industry

Last year, an employment increase of 1 million 955 thousand was achieved in Türkiye. The industry sector’s employment increase was identified as 520 thousand; in services, this figure has been over 1.5 million. The employment share of the industry sector reached 21.7 per cent and achieved its highest level since the global financial crisis (2008-2012). Moreover, 56.4 per cent of the net increase experienced last year in employment was due to the rise in female employment.

The number of technology startups to be increased from 10,000 to 100,000

Thousands of experts gaining experience in the startups will form the well-qualified human resources of the future’s companies. As part of Türkiye’s industry and high-tech venture targets, the number of Turcorn (Turkish unicorns) will be 15, and Decorn will be 5 in 2025. The current number of technology startups is expected to reach 100 thousand from 10 thousand in 2030. To this end, Istanbul will become one of the top 20 centres of entrepreneurship. These targets will be achieved with the contribution of the education and ideas of millions of young people focused on production to high-tech from middle school to PhD studies.

STUDENT PROFILE IN FIGURES

19.904.679

Total number of students at preschool, elementary and middle school level in Türkiye

10.263.953

Male students

9.640.726

Female students

6.879.681

Middle school students (aged 14-18)

1.549.728

Students at public vocational and technical schools

151.655

Students at private vocational and technical high schools

6.950.141

University students

903.000

Annual number of students graduated from universities