What is the project about?

Today’s Youth, Future Jobs Project aims to upgrade and improve the skills of youth and adolescents to play active role in digitalization and innovations, technological and economic changes along with upgrading the capacities of municipalities/local administrations and CSOs in Turkey on digital skills development and job transition. Today’s Youth, Future Jobs Project is being implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in cooperation with the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye and funded by the European Union.

What has been the situation?

Unemployment, especially youth unemployment, is one of the key economic problems in Türkiye. Türkiye had an unemployment rate of 13.39% for 2021, 0.28% higher than in 2020. Since the pandemic has reduced access to decent jobs in Türkiye, youth unemployment has been deepened due to long-standing structural problems. Unemployment among youth is increasing, and discouragement to look for work is growing among youth (discouraged workers). According to TURKSTAT, the unemployment rate for 15-24 age group was 20% in April 2022. The youth unemployment rate was estimated at 23,7% for women and 18,1% for men.

Limited access to adequate/demand-based professions is one factor contributing to low youth employment and education in Türkiye. Among TURKSTAT's official data, Türkiye has a high rate of early school leavers and young people not in employment, education, or training (NEETs). Among 15-17 age group, the NEET ratio was 9.2% in 2021. In the 18-29 age group, the NEET rate was 37.5%, with women at 50.5% and men at 24.4%. this means that one out of every two young women aged 18-29 is NEET. Resulting of the COVID-19 crisis, the employment rate of young people has steadily increased and many young people have been displaced.

The lack of access to demand-based occupations, or skills mismatch, is one of the reasons for low levels of education and employment among youth. In this context, it becomes increasingly important to consider the rapid development of digitalization as well as the growth in demand for related professions. 

What is our mission?

The overall objective of the project is to strengthen the human capital of Türkiye gender-equally by building digital capacity for future professions. The IT, robotics and coding, e-transformation, digital marketing, and complementary areas will be future skills required for youth and adolescents to create added value products for the technology market.

How are we doing this?

By establishing a model for coordination and implementation of employment and social support services within the target municipalities, the project aimed to contribute to the sustainable integration of disadvantaged persons into the workforce. UNDP Türkiye, along with UMT, aims to achieve this objective by designing and operationalizing Digi Youth Vocational Educational Training Centres. Training programmes on gender equality, gender-responsive planning, and service design and delivery are also part of the project to increase the capacity of municipality representatives, local authorities, and other relevant CSOs as well as increasing awareness of employment opportunities among youth and adolescents through capacity-building programs.

How will Turkey Benefit?

The project aims to achieve the followings: 

• 45 Digi Youth Vocational Educational Training Centres will be designed and operationalized. 

• 1 Excellence Centre within the UMT will be established.

• Capacities of municipalities, local administrations and CSOs on digital skills and job transition will be developed.

• Capacities and awareness of youth, and adolescents on digital skills, future works, employment opportunities will be improved.

• Besides perception analysis, baseline analysis, mapping research, gap analysis, needs assessment, best practices study and road map report, re-assessment/feasibility analysis, business models, gender strategy of centres, communication and sustainability strategy of centres will be prepared. 

• ToT modules, training materials in support of facilitating future professions for the youth, adolescents and municipality/local authority personnel and relevant CSOs will be designed and implemented.

• An international forum, employment matchmaking events and workshops in pilot provinces will be organized.

• Digital e-learning platform will be developed.

• International technical visits to EU countries will be organized for personnel of the pilot municipalities.

• Awareness-raising campaign will be conducted to raise awareness on future professions, digital skills, promote Digi Youth VET Centres and increase participation in skills development and vocational trainings in future professions.

• Mentorship programme and internship opportunities will be provided.