Cevdet Yılmaz: ‘Labor Adjustment Program’ will be a guide

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said, “The ‘Labor Adjustment Program’, designed with a new perspective in line with the spirit of the times, will facilitate, encourage and guide the step into work. It will increase the chances of our citizens to find jobs in different sectors by improving their skills.”

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan attended the ‘Labor Adjustment Program Introduction Meeting’ at the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR). Vice President Yılmaz stated that they plan to share the updated Medium Term Program (MTP) with the public in the first week of September and said, “The main objective of our program is to reduce inflation, grow in stability and ensure permanent welfare increase. Employment will continue to be one of the main topics of the MTP. Employment is one of the basic indicators in economic and social terms. While continuing our disinflation process on the one hand, we aim to protect and increase employment on the other. We are working for a Turkey that grows with investment and production and strengthens with employment and exports. As we move towards our ‘Turkey Century’ goals, we see our human capital as one of our most important assets. We support our young, dynamic and talented population in every field from education to employment policies.”

‘WE DON’T JUST LOOK AT TODAY’S NEEDS’

Yılmaz, who stated that while strengthening employment within the scope of the economic program, they did not remain spectators to the global transformation in working life, said, “It is a fact that green and digital transformation lead to radical changes in the labor market and require employees to constantly acquire new skills. On the other hand, innovative working models are becoming widespread. We see that traditional ways of doing business are changing and creating a new dynamism in business life. In this context, when shaping our policies regarding employment, especially vocational education, we do not only look at today’s needs. We shape our programs by also taking into account the conditions that the future will create. For example, the increasing use of technologies such as automation and artificial intelligence is causing some business lines to transform or even disappear. Along with this, new innovative and technology-focused business areas are emerging. In this age of transformation, we attach more importance than ever to ensuring the supply-demand balance in employment; On the one hand, those looking for a job, on the other hand, those looking for employees. In the past months, under the leadership of the Ministry of National Education, we reviewed the framework of vocational education with all stakeholders of working life and redesigned it to meet the need. “Our main goal is to ensure a much stronger overlap between our education system and our labor market,” he said.

‘NEW OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE OFFERED TO OUR CITIZENS’

In addition to the general education system; Yılmaz stated that the training and courses organized by İŞKUR continue to increase the quality of the workforce and make millions of people job or business owners, and said, “İŞKUR’s transformation in the last 20 years is admirable. Today, it continues on its path by adding a new program to its other works. With the ‘Labor Adaptation Program’ that we launched today, we will open the doors of different professions, skills and entrepreneurship to our people, while also supporting them in the first steps of their careers. The ‘Labor Adaptation Program’ is an important opportunity for our citizens who have been away from the labor market, especially women and young people. At the center of this program is to integrate our citizens who have not been able to participate in business life but have potential into the business world. With the program, new opportunities will be offered to our citizens in business life, they will be provided with training and experience at the same time. The training subjects will offer personal development opportunities in a wide range from financial literacy to effective communication, from occupational health and safety to career management.”

‘PARTICIPANTS WILL BE PAID DAILY NET MINIMUM WAGE’

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz stated that the fields of work will include recycling and waste management, disabled, elderly, sick and child care, restoration of natural habitats, afforestation and agricultural production, and animal husbandry, and said, “Our citizens who step into the workforce within the scope of the ‘Labor Adjustment Program’ will have the right to work part-time. Thus, while gaining experience in a public institution within the scope of the program, they will also be able to work in another job. The program is planned to last 140 days, with the first 4 weeks working 5 days and the remaining 3 days a week. Participants will be paid a daily net minimum wage and short-term insurance premiums (5.5 percent premium rate) will be provided. We are also paving the way for our students to benefit from the ‘Labor Adjustment Program’. While our university students continue their education, they will also gain experience in working life and be able to earn their allowances. The program will provide the opportunity to reach more people with less cost and will make it easier for job seekers to find jobs in the private sector by developing their skills. “With this new approach, we will make our labor market more dynamic and enable our citizens to take solid steps in their careers,” he said.

‘AN IMPORTANT TOOL IN FIGHTING UNEMPLOYMENT’

Stating that they have previously implemented various programs to increase employment and ease the transition to the labor market, Yılmaz said, “We conducted impact assessments on these and developed new approaches as a result. Effectiveness and efficiency outputs were obtained from active labor programs such as ‘Programs for the Benefit of Society’ and changes were made in a way that would be most beneficial for the labor market. ‘Programs for the Benefit of Society’ will now only be applied in disasters and emergencies. The ‘Labor Adjustment Program’ that we have launched today is very different in terms of content. Designed with a new perspective in line with the spirit of the times, the ‘Labor Adjustment Program’ will facilitate, encourage and guide the step into work. It will increase the chances of finding a job in different sectors by improving the skills of our citizens. The ‘Labor Adjustment Program’ has been prepared in a way that also overlaps with the OVP targets for the 2025-2027 period that we will announce in September. In line with our 12th Development Plan and the OVP, we aim to create a strong and sustainable labor market, increase employment and make our labor force more qualified. “We will continue to work to make it happen. I wholeheartedly believe that the ‘Labor Adjustment Program’ will stand out as an important tool in the fight against unemployment and contribute to economic and social development.”

‘WE NEED TO ADAPT TO NEW PROFESSIONS’

Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan emphasized that one of the greatest assets of the country is its human resources, and said, “We need to make our human resources more effective with the knowledge, skills and equipment that labor markets need and the age requires, and ensure that they adapt to new professions. We know that evaluating this potential correctly has a key role in building a strong Turkey not only today but also the future. We need to effectively benefit from our young, dynamic and talented population. One of the most important goals of the ‘Labor Adjustment Program’ that we are introducing today is to accustom the human resources that are not working and producing to working life and ensure that they participate in production. In short, the ‘Labor Adjustment Program’ is programs organized to provide the unemployed, especially those requiring special policies, with the knowledge, skills, work habits and discipline that will enable them to transition to the labor market. The ultimate goal of this program is to increase participation in the labor force and employment.”

‘THEY CAN WORK IN OTHER JOB AT THE SAME TIME IF THEY WANT’

Işıkhan, who pointed out that labor markets around the world are undergoing rapid change, said, “Digitalization, remote working and flexible work models have now become our new normal. As Turkey, we cannot turn a blind eye to this transformation. Hopefully, the ‘Labor Adjustment Program’ we have prepared will be a reflection of this understanding. The program will prepare our citizens for business life, allowing them to develop their talents, gain professional skills and achieve economic independence. At the same time, it will be a program that supports adaptation to business life for groups that have difficulty in joining employment due to difficulty in balancing work and private life. Users who benefit from this program will be able to work in other jobs at the same time if they wish. It will be a program that encourages participation in business life, especially for women and young people.”