The Ankara Chamber of Industry (ACI) Board of Directors Meeting was held with the participation of Deputy Ministers of Labour and Social Security Atty. Ahmet Aydın, Dr. Adnan Ertem, Faruk Özçelik and Prof. Dr. Lutfihak Alpkan. During the meeting, issues on the agenda of industrialists regarding working life and employment were discussed, and views and solution proposals were shared.
Hosted by ACI Chairman of the Board Seyit Ardıç, the meeting addressed key topics related to working life, particularly access to qualified workforce, stronger alignment of vocational education with the needs of industry, employment costs and incentives, labour legislation, İŞKUR programs, and occupational health and safety. Members of the ACI Board of Directors shared with the Deputy Ministers the challenges faced by industrialists in the field, as well as their expectations and solution proposals.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, ACI Chairman of the Board Seyit Ardıç emphasized that despite challenging economic conditions and global competition, industrialists in Ankara have not compromised on their determination to produce, create employment, export and invest.
Highlighting that access to qualified workforce is one of the most important agenda items for industrialists, Chairman Ardıç stated that vocational education should be shaped in line with the needs of industry and said, “We now have to evaluate this issue not only through unemployment rates, but also through the skills mismatch in the labour market. We believe that vocational education policies must be much more strongly aligned with the needs of our industry. Strong coordination among vocational high schools, vocational colleges, İŞKUR and industrial enterprises will make an important contribution to meeting our need for qualified workforce.”
“THE BURDENS ON EMPLOYMENT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN A HOLISTIC MANNER”
Drawing attention to the impact of employment costs, particularly on the competitiveness of labour-intensive sectors, ACI Chairman Ardıç stated that there is a need for a stronger and more predictable incentive structure that supports production and employment, and continued as follows:
“While protecting the income of our employees, we must also keep the burden on our enterprises at a sustainable level. We consider it important to address the burdens on employment, especially social security premiums, in a holistic manner. We believe that premium incentives should be made stronger and more predictable, particularly for enterprises that produce, export, provide additional employment and invest in the professional development of their employees.”
Chairman Ardıç also touched upon the importance of adapting labour legislation to changing production and working models, stating, “The model we need is a working life suited to the requirements of the age, one that provides secure flexibility, increases registered employment and preserves the competitiveness of enterprises.”
Emphasizing the importance of vocational training, on-the-job training and employment programs carried out by İŞKUR, ACI Chairman Ardıç said:
“We consider İŞKUR’s vocational training, on-the-job training and employment programs extremely valuable. We believe that aligning these programs more strongly with the changing needs of our industry and enabling our SMEs to benefit from these supports more effectively will make an important contribution to increasing qualified employment.
We should not view employment incentives solely as recruitment support. We should also support enterprises that train their employees, improve their skills and increase their productivity. We must also carefully address the declining interest of our young people in industry. We should better explain the career opportunities offered by industrial professions to our youth and strengthen the social perception of vocational education.”
Drawing attention to the importance of strong dialogue, common wisdom and cooperation between the public sector and the real sector, Ardıç said, “As the Ankara Chamber of Industry, we will continue to convey the challenges faced by our industrialists in the field, together with our solution proposals, to the relevant authorities of our state, and to remain an active stakeholder in efforts that will strengthen our production and employment environment.”
During the meeting, Deputy Ministers of Labour and Social Security Atty. Ahmet Aydın, Dr. Adnan Ertem, Faruk Özçelik and Prof. Dr. Lutfihak Alpkan also evaluated the problems, expectations and solution proposals raised by industrialists.
Chairman Ardıç thanked the Deputy Ministers of Labour and Social Security for attending the ACI Board of Directors Meeting and directly listening to the views and suggestions of industrialists.
