Problems in welding training and employment of welding school graduates were discussed at a meeting chaired by the Deputy Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer and attended by the Chairman of İstanbul Chamber of Industry (İSO) Erdal Bahçıvan, sector representatives, Director General for the Vocational and Technical Education Kemal Varım, Head of Strategy Department Fatih Lebleci and related directors of the Ministry.

 

As a result of the meeting, it was decided to found 5 centers of excellence on welding training in İstanbul. The Ministry of National Education allocated 10 million liras for the infrastructure of centers of excellence in welding.

 

Deputy Minister of National Education Özer said after the meeting that strengthening vocational education is among the prior objectives of the Ministry.

 

Noting that the Ministry had taken important steps as a part of this goal in the last two years, Özer said that there is a high demand for trained welders in automotive, maritime, transportation, energy, aviation and defense industries.

 

Deputy Minister Özer stated that well educated people will make an important contribution to the economy of the country and also increase the quality of human resources and production quality in the country adding that, "We have taken a new step for thematic cooperation in vocational education. We have chosen welding as the phase of this cooperation. We had a productive meeting with the İSO members about responding the need for educated welders in local and international level. We have decided to establish 5 centers of excellence in İstanbul. These centers are expected to solve the welder problem in the labor market and will follow recent developments in the sector. Centers will be founded in the selected vocational and technical high schools and will be equipped with high technology devices.

 

"We have allocated 10 million liras as a part of this project and we are planning to complete the infrastructure of centers in a short period of time. There will be regular professional improvement programs for all teachers. We will update the curriculum according to the needs of today. We will also give scholarships to students and graduates of these centers will have priority in the employment."

 

Özer expressed his gratitude to ISO officials and sector representatives for their support. 

 

Meanwhile, İSO Chairman Erdal Bahçıvan expressed his appreciation due to the cooperation with the Ministry.

 

Stating that the İstanbul chamber has taken successful steps to cooeprate with the Ministry of National Education in order to reinforce vocation education in İstanbul and respond to the human resources needs of the labor market in the city, Bahçıvan said, "We had the opportunity to convey the demand of our members for employing trained welders to the Ministry.  Our members expressed their problems and solution suggestions. We have defined steps for the solution with the Ministry. 5 centers of excellence which will be established in the city is an important step in this regard. İSO will support these centers. We have taken our cooperation to a new level and took the first step of thematic cooperation.  I believe that we will see results in a very short period of time. I would like to thank Deputy Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer, Ministry officials and our members."