Employment and Skills Development Programme

completed

The aim of the SI measure is to create employment opportunities for Syrian refugees (Syrians under Temporary Protection) in Turkey and disadvantaged Turkish citizens in the host communities. This is done on the one hand through institutional capacity building of the Turkish labor market agency ISKUR and through the expansion of ISKUR service centers in 16 provinces (Hatay, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Kilis, Istanbul). This will contribute to improving the placement of SuTP in the formal labor market. On the other hand, employment promotion is carried out through so-called SME Capability Centers, which offer consulting services and training programs for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in order to sustainably strengthen their competitiveness and productivity. This is intended to contribute to the creation of additional jobs, especially for SuTP, in the formal sector. In addition to an existing SME Capability Center in Ankara, two further centers will be set up in the cities of Konya and Kayseri together with the Turkish government agencies and local chambers of commerce. The German contribution will finance digitization components for the centers. By improving prospects for both Syrian refugees and the local Turkish population, the project aims to contribute to stabilizing the Turkish provinces most affected by the influx of refugees, improving the long-term resilience of local communities and creating employment. The project is being implemented through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in close coordination with the Turkish government, the national employment agency (ISKUR), the Ministry of Industry and Technology (MoIT), local authorities and local chambers of commerce and industry.