UNDP Invests in the Future with Turkish and Syrian Youth: Strengthening Social Cohesion and Integration in 5 Provinces through Education, Consultancy and Entrepreneurship Support

March 16, 2021

The project funded by Government of Japan and implemented by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Turkey in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, General Directorate of Youth Services supports young people’s employability and social cohesion in five provinces; Ankara, Bursa, Istanbul, Kocaeli and Sanlıurfa. One thousand Turkish and Syrian youth between 15-29 are planned to benefit from the training, consultancy and entrepreneurship support. Within the scope of the project, it is also planned to establish and renovate 30 computer labs in Youth Centers located in nine provinces.

Ankara, March 16, 2021 – “Employability, Entrepreneurship and Social Stability for Syrian and Turkish Youth – in response to the Syria Crisis Project” implemented under UNDP Turkey’s Syria Crisis Response and Resilience Portfolio and funded by Government of Japan aims to increase social cohesion among Syrians under temporary protection and members of Turkish host community, support socio-economic empowerment and social cohesion through entrepreneurship, skills development and access to labor market opportunities.

The project is funded by the Government of Japan with a financing of approximately 3 million dollars and within the project, a total of 1000 Turkish and Syrian youth will benefit from information and communication technology trainings, career counseling, social and basic skills training and entrepreneurship support (training, grants, mentorship and guidance) in order to have access the labor market and registered employment opportunities (including entrepreneurship) in youth centers located in five provinces operating under the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The beneficiaries of the project are youth leaders, youth center staff and Syrian and Turkish youth between the ages 15-29. Within the scope of UNDP’s gender equality objective, the project aims at least 40 percent of all beneficiaries to be women.

It is aimed to establish 30 computer laboratories in youth centers in Adana, Ankara, Bursa, Istanbul, Hatay, Kayseri, Kocaeli, Mersin and Sanlıurfa provinces and/or supply technical equipment for the renovation of existing ones.

Under the project, UNDP and the Ministry of Youth and Sports will also work together to adapt and expand existing programs aimed at promoting youth employability, skills development and social cohesion. The project will also support Syrian and Turkish youth access to formal and decent jobs and improve the existing services of youth centers to better respond to needs of youth.

In this context, information and communication technologies training will be provided to Syrian and Turkish youth through the youth centers of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. It is aimed that 200 young people in total will complete skills development programs and increase their employability levels.

In line the objectives, entrepreneurship trainings will be offered together with the mentorship program that will be implemented with the aim of accelerating the growth of young people-led enterprises. It is aimed that 150 young people will have the opportunity to develop their business idea creation, growth and restructuring skills with these trainings and mentorship program.

As a complement to these programs, a grant scheme will be established to provide small in-kind and/ or cash grants to 70 young entrepreneurs who have a feasible business plan to set up or grow their business.

Organizing awareness-raising campaigns in five provinces and establishing İŞKUR Job Clubs in youth centers are also among the goals.

Within the scope of the “Employability, Entrepreneurship and Social Stability for Syrian and Turkish Youth – in response to the Syria Crisis Project”, a total of 100 people, including 50 youth center staff and 50 youth leaders will be trained on social cohesion and conflict prevention, and 500 young people will directly benefit from social cohesion activities.

It is expected that the lives of 2000 people in total will be positively affected in the long term at the end of the project together with the social cohesion activities to be implemented.