Exporters provide added value through vocational training

The issue of intermediate staff employment in the industrial sector was discussed at the ‘Aegean Foreign Trade Panel’. Aegean Exporters’ Associations, which carry out comprehensive projects for vocational training to solve the employment problem of intermediate staff in all industrial sectors in Turkey, organized the ‘Aegean Foreign Trade’ panel. Speaking at the panel, Jak Eskinazi, the Coordinator President of the Aegean Exporters’ Associations, stated, ‘In 2023, the Aegean Region achieved an export volume of 42.6 billion dollars. We frequently emphasize the shortage of qualified personnel in the industry. It is very clear which sector can sustain which labor cost according to the industrial life cycle, and which industries can generate higher wages. Labor-intensive sectors cannot tolerate a minimum wage above 500 dollars. In order for our sectors to be competitive, wages need to be paid within a certain range. This is the main reason for unemployment. Some sectors cannot afford a minimum wage above 500 dollars. We need a reform in the industry. We are carrying out projects to strengthen the connections of our sectors with vocational high schools, to encourage, support, and promote vocational high schools. According to the IMF report, 60% of jobs will be affected by artificial intelligence in the coming period. The artificial intelligence market will reach an astronomical value of around 2 trillion dollars in 4-5 years. We should integrate the curricula of our vocational high schools with both the needs of our sectors and artificial intelligence, e-commerce, and sustainability.’ During the panel, Adnan Yıldırım, the Former General Manager of Türk Eximbank and Former Deputy Minister of Economy for the 2014-15 period, made a presentation on Turkey’s and the world’s foreign trade.