The Sakarya Skilled Workforce Workshop identified a chronic shortage of qualified technical and intermediate personnel needed by Sakarya's industry, stemming from a "system incompatibility." The workshop's key findings include the education-industry disconnect caused by the loss of reputation of vocational high schools and ineffective internship programs; the supply-demand imbalance, particularly in critical positions like Welding and CNC Operators; the digital competency gap in the current workforce; and urban quality of life issues that make it difficult to retain qualified personnel in the city. Strategic recommendations to address these systemic issues include restructuring vocational high schools as a "state policy," establishing university-industry collaboration on permanent platforms, and designing new organized industrial zones as "living spaces" with residential and social spaces. The ultimate vision is to transform Sakarya into a "center of attraction" for qualified professionals.
Click here for the Workshop Report.
