LocationsUNDP Turkey plans to switch to the blended learning modality for training on renewable energy for Syrians and host community members that has been provided for a year. Also, Istanbul will be included in the initiative.
UNDP’s training on solar and wind energy in Turkey switch to the blended learning modality and will also be provided in Istanbul to reach 1,000 individuals in total
UNDP Turkey plans to switch to the blended learning modality combining digital and face-to-face learning, for training on renewable energy for Syrians and host community members that has been provided for a year. Also, in addition to the five initial provinces, Istanbul will be included in the initiative that aims to help people gain the skills they need to find jobs in Turkey’s rapidly expanding solar and wind power sectors. The details on the courses scheduled to start in 2022 were discussed at the Meeting of Coordinators held jointly with the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) on 20 December 2021 in Istanbul.
Tuğçe Söğüt, Social Cohesion Projects Coordinator of UNDP Turkey Syria Crisis Response and Resilience Portfolio, said “With our new learning modality using both online and in-person learning, we offer a more accessible education model, as trainees will be able to plan and proceed on their own learning time and pace.” Kadir Polat, Project Associate of MoNE, noted that adding Istanbul to project provinces will make a significant contribution in terms of the number of trainees.
The training was developed by UNDP in consultation with MoNE, private sector and NGOs operating in the field of renewable energy and is a hybrid programme focusing on solar and wind energy. It is a practical vocational and technical training programme designed to train unskilled labour and help bridge the gap of subprofessionals in the sector, and equips trainees with skills of installation, repair and maintenance of the equipment and systems of plants that generate solar- and wind-based renewable energy.
The programme was launched in March 2021 in the provinces of Bursa, Kocaeli, Konya, Hatay and Mersin for a total capacity of 500 trainees, half of whom would be Syrians and another half host community members with at least 25 percent women participation. In 2022, Istanbul will be included in the provinces for a total capacity of 1,000 trainees with the additional funding from the Republic of Korea.
At the meeting, Project Consultant Levent Sağıroğlu presented the details of the new learning approach. Of the total 247 hours of the training programme, 144 hours involving technical courses will be provided in face-to-face classes, and the remaining 103 hours covering preparatory lessons and theoretical knowledge will be offered on digital platforms. Trainees will be able to access the digital content from anywhere and review the topics as many times as they wish.
Through the training intended for delivery in 6 provinces, UNDP aims to enhance the employability of Syrians under Temporary Protection and host community members in the sector as well as strengthen the social cohesion between two groups. The initiative also promotes local investments in sustainable clean energy. In that context, 391 trainees have already completed the training and been awarded the certificate of international validity by Europass.
The US$2.3 million initiative funded by the Republic of Korea is a part of UNDP Turkey’s broader $75 million portfolio of projects aimed at building self-reliance of Syrian refugees and resilience of host communities by expanding labour market access, improving livelihoods, enhancing public services and building social cohesion.
