MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

We continue to work with faith and determination in our goals to contribute to the development of the economy of our city and our country. We consider the increase in exports, digital transformation in trade and industry, and investments in our human capital as priority issues for Konya.

We have further increased our contribution to the Konya economy with the work we have done at the KTO Education and Health Foundation, KTO Karatay University, International Exhibition Center, which we have established under the roof of our chamber. We aim to develop the production and trade capacity of Konya’s economy in a way that puts it ahead of the competition with the world with the Vocational Education Center, Foreign Trade Center, and Competence and Digital Transformation Center (Model Factory) within the KTO Technology and Education Campus.

We all know well that it is necessary to train qualified human resources and use knowledge for economic development and improvement. Now, there is a need for a technical staff model more than people with manual dexterity or physical strength in order to access information, use technology, and produce solutions to the problems that arise by making comments. The main point is to give people a profession, not a diploma.

On the one hand, while there is unemployment in our country, we see that our industry is having problems finding suitable personnel. This situation shows that the bridge between education and employment is broken and that there is more of a problem of lack of profession than unemployment. At the heart of this problem is not the human but the system problem. We have to give qualifications to the unemployed population.

The problem of qualified personnel, which is not only the problem of Konya but also of Turkey, is one of the most important problems that need to be solved. In our country, a young population can be an advantage if it is well educated, equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills. For sustainable and high-rate growth, we must achieve the ability to provide our workforce with skills following the demands of the business world. The way to do this is to improve the quality of vocational education and increase its prevalence.

An important shortcoming of vocational education is the disconnection between school and the workplace. Students who have received vocational education do not have the opportunity to practice enough. As a private sector, we also have a great duty and responsibility in all matters related to vocational education.

It is our responsibility as a society to give a profession to every young person who is unemployed in our country. As Konya Chamber of Commerce, we saw the need for avocational training in the city, a production center, and we made it a reality for our city.

I would like to thank all the institutions and organizations that supported us in the establishment and work for our center; I wish the center can be beneficial to our city, region, and country.

Selçuk ÖZTÜRK
President of Konya Chamber of Commerce