The first career introduction meeting was held at Şehit Mehmet Erdoğan Secondary School.

The first vocational introduction meeting under the Vocational Education Cooperation Protocol signed between the Kayseri Tradesmen and Craftsmen Chambers Union (KESOB) and the Kayseri Provincial Directorate of National Education was held at Şehit Mehmet Erdoğan Middle School.

The first phase of the Vocational Introduction Meetings was organized at Şehit Mehmet Erdoğan Middle School. The meeting was attended by KESOB President Şeyhi Odakır, the Chairman of the Restaurant and Pastry Chefs’ Chamber Altan Aydemir, the Chairman of the Plumbing Chamber Mehmet Faruk Vural, Kocasinan District National Education Director Erkan Çiçek, School Principal Ali Ulaş, teachers, and 8th-grade students. The opening speech of the meeting was made by Kocasinan District National Education Director Erkan Çiçek, who discussed the benefits of the meeting for students. Continuing his speech, Erkan Çiçek handed the floor to the representatives of the professions. After Çiçek, KESOB President Şeyhi Odakır spoke, providing students with information about the structure and operation of KESOB. He mentioned that there are 41 chambers within the institution, including central and district chambers, and that 33,000 tradesmen and craftsmen are registered with KESOB, which he represents as the president. President Şeyhi Odakır advised students by sharing information about his profession. Regarding his professional life, Odakır continued his remarks as follows:

“Dear students, my profession is bodywork; I am a bodywork master. I have worked in this profession since I was a child. I became a master by serving as an apprentice and journeyman. Remember, you cannot learn a job you are not an apprentice in, nor can you become a master. I learned my profession from a master, may God be pleased with him. He has played a significant role in my journey to where I am today. You must love your job, young people; when you do what you love, you will succeed more. With patience, effort, and care in every job you do, you will emerge with your head held high. You are now at an important stage; try to measure and understand yourselves. If you want to continue your education, plan your path accordingly and do not neglect your lessons. However, if you do not wish to continue, start focusing on the profession you are interested in, learn and put in the effort. Research the professions of the future. Our country always needs you. Make your decisions accordingly and shape your life. The future will be entrusted to you. As a country, we need engineers, lawyers, industrialists, and tradesmen. Through these meetings, we come together with you to share our experiences and humbly offer our advice. We want to be of help to you. I kiss all of you on the eyes, wish our meeting to be beneficial, and wish you all success.”

The Chairman of the Restaurant and Pastry Chefs’ Chamber, Altan Aydemir, introduced his profession during his speech. Aydemir also shared information about the activities and operational processes of the chamber and emphasized important notes about professional life. President Aydemir stated, “First, you will do your job with love. You will be the apprentice and journeyman of that job. You will approach your work with the ethics of tradesmanship and learn it well. I say that you cannot become a master of a job without being an apprentice. For instance, in our profession, you might start by washing dishes if necessary. We are introducing you to our professions to help create a picture of different professions in your mind. We want to be helpful to all of you. By sharing our experiences, we want to make a positive contribution to your career paths. Thank you all, and I wish you success.” The Chairman of the Plumbing Chamber, Mehmet Faruk Vural, also provided information about his chamber and then explained the plumbing profession. Speaking about his professional life, Vural compared the opportunities of his time with those of today, emphasizing to the students that they are in a fortunate period and that they should take advantage of this opportunity.

The meeting concluded after a photo session.