Minister Özer, in his written statement, stated that they are trying to strengthen vocational training within the framework of education, employment and production in order to train the qualified workforce needed by the sector.
Explaining that with the amendment made in the Vocational Education Law No. 3308 on December 25, 2021, an important regulation was made regarding the students attending the vocational education center and a very attractive mechanism was created by removing the financial burden on the employer, Özer said that the amount paid by the enterprises to the students attending the vocational education centers was paid by the government. reminded that it was included in the scope of support.
Stating that with the new regulation, 9th, 10th and 11th grade students registered at the vocational education center receive a monthly fee of 2 thousand 552 TL, and 12th grade students are paid 4 thousand 253 TL per month, “All of these fees are paid by the state. In addition, all students are paid by the state. It is also insured against work accidents and occupational diseases. The employment rate of graduates is also quite high, around 88 percent. The fact that there is no age restriction for enrolling in these centers is a great advantage,” he said.
Stating that there was a very serious demand for the vocational training center from both employers and students after the legal regulation, Özer said, “While the number of apprentices and journeymen in vocational training centers was around 160 thousand, the number of students enrolled in the vocational training center program increased by 784 percent to 1 million 405 after the law change. reached a thousand,” he said.
The increase in the proportion of women drew attention
Minister Özer drew attention to the number of women enrolling in vocational education centers and said, “Before the legal regulation, we had 27 thousand female students enrolled in vocational education centers, as of today, it has exceeded 449 thousand with an increase of 1559. In the same period, the number of male students was around 132 thousand, but as of today 624%. It has exceeded 955 thousand with an increase of ‘.
Regarding the most preferred areas in the vocational training center program, Özer said, “The number of students in the field of marketing and retail increased by 37 thousand 420 percent to 218 thousand 368, the number of students in the field of food and beverage services increased by 876 percent to 128 thousand 126, the number of students in the field of fashion design technologies. On the other hand, it reached 114 thousand 809 with an increase of 1914 percent.
Reminding that they opened vocational training centers in all of the organized industrial zones in 81 provinces, Minister Özer noted that 295 thousand 189 of the 1 million 405 thousand 663 students enrolled in these centers were 18 years old and under, and 1 million 110 thousand 474 were 19 years old and above.