Cooperation Protocol Signed Between İŞKUR and ILO

A cooperation protocol was signed between İŞKUR and ILO (International Labour Organization) for the purpose of increasing employability of our citizens and Syrians under temporary protection in our country, facilitating their access to labour market and enhancing social cohesion.

At the signature ceremony in ILO Ankara Office on February 9, Cafer Uzunkaya, Director General of İŞKUR, and Numan Özcan, Director of ILO Office for Turkey, signed the cooperation protocol which prepared to facilitate the access of Turkish citizens, Syrians under temporary protection, seekers and holders of international protection status to labour markets and means of subsistence in the framework of decent work principles.

Mr. Uzunkaya mentioned about the importance that similar cooperations and the scope to be created by means of this protocol would set an example for other countries. Moreover, Mr. Uzunkaya said that İŞKUR was working devotedly with the aim of enabling both Turkish citizens and Syrians to access decent jobs and preventing informal and illegal working. Lastly, Director General of İŞKUR stated that they had a target and efforts for future activities which would leave behind the activities already achieved and pointed out that the studies would be increased not only quantitatively but also qualitatively.

Numan Özcan, Director of ILO Office for Turkey, expressed his pleasure with the increase in the scope of the activities for youth and women employment they carried out with İŞKUR in recent years. Mr. Özcan emphasized that protocol was important in terms of determining the general framework of the activities realized. Additionally, he underlined that the cooperation would be strengthened and continued in the subjects of ensuring the social cohesion, labour market entry in more appropriate ways and registered employment of seekers and holders of international protection status in our country and the Syrians under temporary protection.

The Outstanding Headlines Under the Protocol Envisaged To Be Valid For Two Years Are As Follows:

- Work will be undertaken to alleviate the adverse impact of irregular migration on Turkish labour markets, and support of national policies, strategies and institutional and technical capacities to protect the competition, balance, labour peace, social peace and rights of the Turkish labour force in working life. Support will be provided for seekers and holders of international protection status, Syrians under temporary protection and Turkish citizens as host communities to public employment services; active labour market programmes will be designed to enhance their employability; and İŞKUR’s institutional capacity will be strengthened at national and local levels.

- Initiatives will be rolled out to support, in the context of Turkish labour market needs, the social integration of seekers and holders of international protection status and Syrians under temporary protection, prevention of informal employment, strengthening of their resilience, and facilitation of their access to labour markets and means of subsistence in the framework of decent work principles.

- Vocational training courses, entrepreneurship and on-the-job training programmes will be organised under the active labour market programmes provided by İŞKUR and in order to increase the employability of seekers and holders of international protection status, Syrians under temporary protection and Turkish citizens as host communities, they will be supported by programmes on work skills, professional Turkish, social integration and similar programmes.