"School-Industry Cooperation: Istanbul Model" Project Gets Its First NGO Support From PAGDER

Protocol Signed and Implementation Launched!

·Plastik Sanayicileri Derneği (PAGDER) became the first civil society organization to support the "School-Industry Cooperation Project-Istanbul Model," which was prepared to develop vocational training and signed by Minister of National Education Nabi Avcı, then Minister of Labour and Social Security Ahmet Erdem, and Istanbul Chamber of Industry Chairman Erdal Bahçıvan.

·In cooperation with Istanbul Chamber of Industry and Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education, PAGDER will address equipment and infrastructure gaps at Inönü Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School's Plastic Technology Department and took an important step by signing the protocol that will provide qualified workforce to the plastics sector.

·At the "Protocol Signing and Equipment Donation Ceremony" held at Inönü Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, PAGDER Board Chairman Reha Gür said, "We are launching employment-focused cooperation that will develop plastic technology workshops with new techniques and methods and enable experience sharing."

Gür also addressed the young people attending the ceremony: "The plastics sector is one that generously rewards those who do their work well. Plastic, the world's innovative material, is capturing market share from every sector and expanding the market. There is life in plastics, there is future; come and plan your careers in the plastics sector as qualified, well-equipped professionals."

PAGDER became the first civil society organization to support the "School-Industry Cooperation Project: Istanbul Model," which was developed as a solution to the shortage of qualified workforce—a fundamental problem for many sectors in Turkey, including the plastics industry—and was launched as a pilot region in Istanbul.

New Vocational and Technical Education Model to be Created!

Through the protocol signed between the Ministry of National Education, Istanbul Directorate of Labour and Social Security, Turkey's Employment Agency Istanbul Provincial Office, and Istanbul Chamber of Industry, PAGDER participates in the "School-Industry Cooperation Project: Istanbul Model," which aims to create a new vocational and technical education model by ensuring industry cooperation in vocational training institutions. PAGDER will address equipment and infrastructure gaps at Inönü Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School's Plastic Technology Department.

Donation and Protocol Signing Ceremony Held!

The donation and protocol signing ceremony for PAGDER, which participates in the "School-Industry Cooperation" project with ISO cooperation and is planned to be expanded to 81 provinces starting from Istanbul, was held at Inönü Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Istanbul-Bayrampaşa.

The signing ceremony was attended by Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education Deputy Director Serkan Gür, Bayrampaşa District Education Branch Director Abdullah Avcı, Inönü Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School Director Deniz Mutlu Güler, Istanbul Chamber of Industry Board Member Nahit Kemalbay and Istanbul Chamber of Industry Council Member Ömer Karadeniz, as well as PAGDER Board Chairman Reha Gür, PAGDER Board Members, senior executives from plastic sector companies contributing to this important project, teachers, students and press representatives.

Plastics Sector to Continue as High-Employment Generation Sector!

Speaking at the ceremony, PAGDER Board Chairman Reha Gür noted that they were proud to be the first civil society organization to support the "School-Industry Cooperation Project: Istanbul Model," which aims to develop young people equipped with the skills that Turkish industry needs, and to pioneer other relevant civil society organizations.

Extending his thanks to the Ministry of National Education for implementing the project, to Istanbul Chamber of Industry and Istanbul Chamber of Commerce managers, and to industry professionals, Gür also invited other relevant civil society organizations and other sectors to join this service competition.

Unemployment Rate in 15-24 Age Group at 18.5%!

Pointing out that the plastics sector is one of the world's most important sectors and plastic is the most valuable material, Gür noted that the sector, which currently employs 306,000 people, will continue to be a high-employment generating sector.

Citing a TÜİK 2015 survey showing an unemployment rate of 18.5% in the 15-24 age group, Reha Gür said, "With the steps we will take today, by training the intermediate-level personnel needed by the plastics sector in a qualified manner and integrating them into the plastics industry, both the unemployment rate will decrease and the shortage of qualified personnel that industrialists need will be eliminated."

Emphasizing that in the global competitive environment, competition sustainability is possible through productivity and that skilled hands must be involved in work for productivity, Gür stated that machinery and equipment, experienced and well-equipped trainers must work together for this purpose.

Addressing the young people attending the ceremony, Reha Gür said, "Today here we have well-equipped teachers and young people with eyes shining with light. The plastics sector is one that generously rewards those who do their work well. Plastic, the world's innovative material, is capturing market share from every sector and expanding the market. There is life in plastics, there is future; come and equip yourselves as qualified professionals, plan your careers in the plastics sector."

Important messages from speakers:

·Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education Deputy Director Serkan Gür, in his remarks, drew attention to the importance of vocational training and told the young people present at the ceremony: "Dream, because only as long as you dream can you achieve things."

Noting that one of the problems of vocational and technical education is the failure to develop qualified human resources, Serkan Gür said, "We can develop qualified human resources only by combining our strength with the sector's strength; we can achieve this by transferring the sector's experience to our schools, and so we developed the School-Industry Cooperation Istanbul Model. With the support of Istanbul Chamber of Industry and Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, we implemented 55 mobility projects and visits; we also made confirmed matches for approximately 30 teachers to schools. To accelerate education in our vocational and technical schools, the School-Industry Cooperation project will be expanded to 81 provinces, and our Ministry of National Education has sent instructions to these cities. I thank Istanbul Chamber of Industry, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and PAGDER, which support this project, and all plastic sector professionals who provide support, and I wish this prototype to be successful and auspicious."

·Istanbul Chamber of Industry Board Member Nahit Kemalbay, who also spoke at the meeting, drew attention to the fact that the key to increasing the country's competitive power is qualified workforce and people who create qualified jobs.

As Istanbul Chamber of Industry, he stated that they visited nearly 800 companies within the project scope and extended his thanks for PAGDER, whose member he is and which provides much theoretical and practical training, being the first civil society organization to support the project.

·Istanbul Chamber of Industry Council Member Ömer Karadeniz, in his remarks, stated that they will always be by the side of young people and emphasized the great importance of the work done by ISO and PAGDER in this regard. Karadeniz said that the School-Industry Cooperation Istanbul Model project will be integrated with industry and trade chambers, businesses and institutions, professional committees, and civil society organizations that have qualified workforce needs.

·Speaking at the ceremony, Inönü Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School Director Deniz Mutlu Güler stated that they were grateful for the support from Istanbul Chamber of Industry and Plastik Sanayicileri Derneği PAGDER, saying "We provide training to approximately 5,000 students in 7 different fields. The support given to our school under the School-Industry Cooperation project is of great importance for our students' education."

PAGDER member companies contributing to addressing equipment and infrastructure gaps at Inönü Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School's Plastic Technology Department (In alphabetical order):

Arburg Türkiye, Autonics Otomasyon, Enformak Plastik Teknolojileri, Güven-el Plastik, Medel Elektronik, Mete Plastik, Novoma Makine, Nüve Plastik, Saraç Makine, Ser Rezistans, Şenmak Makine, Tisan Mühendislik Plastikleri, Yelkenciler Makine, Erka Ambalaj.