Within the scope of the Vocational Educational and Training Programme for Employment Programme (VET4JOB-2), implemented under the leadership of Expertise France in cooperation with the General Directorate of Vocational and Technical Education of the Ministry of National Education of Türkiye and the Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen (TESK), and funded by the European Union, the “Apprentice Students on the Path to Mastery” Awareness Meeting was held on 16 April 2026 in Ankara.
The meeting was organized with the participation of enterprises operating in priority sectors in the programme provinces, as well as those that currently host apprentice students or have the potential to do so. It aimed to enhance understanding of the differences between the child labour prevention approach and apprenticeship training. In this context, the discussions focused on identifying sector-specific risks, developing a safe apprenticeship system that reduces these risks and increases efficiency, and exploring how sustainable master workforce development can be achieved for enterprises.
The meeting started with the screening of the VET4JOB-2 introductory film. It was followed by a presentation covering the topics of awareness in apprenticeship training system, the fundamental differences between apprenticeship training and child labour, the responsibilities of enterprises, and apprentices from an occupational health and safety perspective were addressed in detail.
In the following session, an interactive self-assessment activity was conducted to encourage active participation. During this session, enterprises had the opportunity to review their current practices, while sectoral risk assessments were discussed through case studies.
The meeting concluded with feedback from participants, as well as closing remarks, commitments, and a general evaluation session.
