Renewal of Cooperation Protocol: Ministries of Labor, Social Security, and Education – BRTK
Cooperation Protocol on Vocational Training Activities Signed Between Ministries of Labor and Education
The Cooperation Protocol on Vocational Training Activities, which has been in force since 2019 between the Ministry of Labor and Social Security and the Ministry of National Education (MEB), has been rearranged and signed once again.
During a ceremony held at the Ministry of National Education Meeting Hall, Minister of Labor and Social Security Sadık Gardiyanoğlu and Minister of National Education Nazım Çavuşoğlu put their signatures on the protocol. This protocol falls under the Vocational Training Law and Vocational Qualification Law, targeting foreign workers who come to the country for work purposes. Its objective is to establish qualification, competence, and experience criteria to meet the workforce demand with qualified personnel.
According to the terms of the protocol, foreigners arriving from abroad can now enter the labor market by demonstrating their vocational training and experience, as well as obtaining a Work Eligibility Certificate based on the criteria set by both ministries to acquire a work permit. The recent regulation mandates a Hygiene and Sanitation Certificate for foreign workers entering the TRNC job market. Additionally, criteria for Occupational Health and Safety Certificate and A2 level Turkish Language Certificate have been introduced.
In his remarks at the signing ceremony, Minister Gardiyanoğlu mentioned that foreign workers holding a work eligibility certificate must undergo additional training if they renew their work permit or switch to a different profession. The main aim is to certify foreign workers coming into the country within the framework of the protocol, following the criteria determined by the Ministry of Education, in order to safeguard the domestic workforce trained as skilled employees.
Minister of National Education Nazım Çavuşoğlu stressed the principle of leaving no one without a certificate in the business sector within the country. He highlighted that all ministries have taken significant strides in this direction, including the incorporation of competencies in occupational safety that are crucial for the working environment into the protocol. Moreover, there was a need to align the code system implemented by the Ministry of Labor to ensure coherence between ministries. The signed protocol also supports the process of meeting such requirements and provides essential training to foreign individuals coming to integrate into society in terms of language. Foreign workers, along with their families, bring about language challenges in schools. Moving forward, Turkish proficiency certificates will be required for foreign workers upon registration, enhancing inclusion in the system by acquainting newcomers with the local language and culture.
