Good news of unrequited scholarship to students choosing textile engineering department. 12 textile, ready-to-wear and leather exporters association and TTSIS signed a protocol with YÖK to increase interest in textile engineering. The protocol will provide students with the opportunity to find employment in various proportions after scholarship and training.
12 exporters’ unions came together under the leadership of Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (İTHİB), Istanbul Apparel Exporters’ Association (İHKİB) and Istanbul Leather and Leather Products Exporters’ Association (İDMİB) and TTSİS to improve the perception of textile and leather engineering in Turkey in order to ensure that students prefer these departments more, and they initiated a cooperation with the Council of Higher Education (YÖK). According to the protocol signed to respond to the needs of the industry’s skilled labour force, if the first 20 thousand students in the university exam choose the textile engineering department, they will be able to get a net scholarship every month. In addition, successful students will be provided with a job guarantee after their education.
Speaking at the signing ceremony YÖK Chairman Prof. Dr. Yekta Saraç recalled an average of 6% share in Turkey’s total employment is provided by these industries which generated about 30 billion dollars in export revenue last year. Stating that the textile, ready-to-wear and leather industries play an important role in economic competition, Saraç pointed out that they have come together with industry associations and employer representatives in order to provide high-quality engineers to these industries.
Saraç explained that as YÖK, they are in constant contact with the industry representatives for the cultivation of human resource with high application and skill competence with the qualifications required by the industry and creating employment-oriented policies in the scope of university-industry cooperation.
Good news of unrequited scholarship to students choosing textile engineering department: lack of qualified labour force is the basic problem
The protocol was signed by İTHİB President Ahmet Öksüz, on behalf of the textile industry, İHKİB President Mustafa Gültepe, on behalf of the ready-to-wear industry, and İDMİB President Mustafa Şenocak, on behalf of the leather industry. Lack of qualified labour force was pointed as the most important problem in a joint statement for the 3 industries, employing approximately 1 million people and generating 30 billion dollars in exports in 2018.
The statement continued as follows; “On one hand it is needed to integrate new technologies into existing infrastructure; while on the other hand industry 4.0-based facilities need to be established quickly; in order for Turkey to maintain its competitiveness and the role of playmaker in textile, ready-to-wear and leather industry. There is a need for well-trained engineers to improve efficiency and to bring the industry into compliance with Industry 4.0.”
“However, interest in textile engineering in Turkey is decreasing every year. In 2018, only 228 of 542 places in 13 textile engineering faculties were filled with students. In 2018, when only 3 faculties reached 100 percent occupancy, the most successful student preferring textile engineering ranked in 90,000s. In order to change this negative perception and raise qualified textile engineers; the sector has taken its part by doing its job. We believe that the table, which does not overlap with the future vision of the sector; will change with the protocol signed after one year of preparation and that interest in textile engineering will increase as of this year”.
Students receive scholarship and work guarantee
According to the protocol signed between the industry associations and YÖK; the first 20 thousand students in the university exam will get a net scholarship every month; if they prefer textile engineering. Candidates with a score between 20 and 50 thousand will receive 70 percent of the net minimum wage as scholarship; and 50-80 thousand will benefit from non-refundable scholarship by 50 percent of the net minimum wage. Long-term internship opportunities will be offered to the students in order to prepare them for the working life. In addition, successful students will be guaranteed business.
According to the protocol, a grant of 1 million TL will be granted in 2019-2020 period.