Job-Guaranteed Vocational Rehabilitation Center

Objective of the Project

Approximately 12.29 percent of the population of Turkey consists of the handicapped people. This ratio is 11.10 percent for men and 13.45 percent for women. When expressed in figures, this indicates that 8.5 million people are handicapped in our country. "Discrimination, employment, education and access" come in the first place among the most essential problems encountered in our country by the handicapped living persons whose population reaches 17 million together with their families. The most important conclusion derived from the surveys conducted in Turkey is that there is a dominant opinion as to that if the handicapped participate in education and are included in employment, the necessary efficiency would not be obtained and they would not work in coherence with other people.

The World Handicapped Foundation (WHF) and the Handicapped Research and Implementation Center which is active within the body of Bahçeşehir University create projects targeting to increase the life quality of the handicapped persons in Turkey. The scope of the project is providing employment-oriented education to facilitate the living conditions of the handicapped persons and making designs of life-facilitator technologic products. The first stage of the project covers determining the fields of profession which the individuals are interested and skilled in by professional competence tests, and giving consultancy for them to receive education in that field, and the second stage covers provision of vocational education within the scope of the program created so that individual working opportunity is ensured in practical education, by the assistants to whom theoretical education is given by the academicians in line with the needs in the sector. In this section, it is aimed to eliminate the necessity of the handicapped persons to perform a job undesired by them within the 3% quota of workers to be compulsorily employed to resolve their financial troubles.

By the databank to be created within the scope of the project, it will be facilitated to employ the handicapped persons whose qualifications will be determined. During employment, the working conditions of the handicapped, the trouble encountered by them at the workplaces will be reviewed in legal terms, and it will be ensured with legal grounds and sanctions that the working conditions of the handicapped person are improved by the firm where necessary. The same shall apply for the troubles to be encountered by the employers, either, thus, it is targeted to minimize short-term employment, dismissal or quit. In the working environment of the handicapped person, focus group will be conducted by the psychologists in certain intervals and reports will be prepared. The reports will then be presented to İş-Kur (Employment Agency), and briefing shall be given about the accomplishment status of the project.

Subject of the Project

As World Handicapped Foundation (WHF) and Bahçeşehir University Handicapped Research and Implementation Center, creating employment-oriented environments where it will be satisfactory to work within the body of the university and in the sector in order to increase the life standards in Turkey, and giving educations towards promoting the cultural and vocational knowledge levels of the individuals

Place where the Project is to be implemented (Province/County):
Provinces and counties where handicapped population and work fields are intense.
As Pilot implementation region; Gebze Organized Industrial Zone and its neighborhood.

Person /Entity / Organization to execute the Project: Cooperation of World Handicapped Foundation and Bahçeşehir University

Project Executors: . Prof. Dr. Nesrin ÖZDEMİR, Academic Member, and İnci ZAİM, Academician

Project Start Date: July 10, 2010

Duration of the Project: 2 months

Contribution to Employment: Permanent Employment-Oriented

Number of Handicapped Persons to Avail: At least 20 persons per education fields to be determined by Professional Competence Tests and Sectoral analysis.

Qualifications of the Participants: handicapped groups except the mentally handicapped persons.