The future is uncertain for young Syrians working to rebuild their lives in Istanbul. However, specific changes in training, policy, and programming can help prepare more young Syrian men and women in the country’s economic center with critical skills and knowledge. These changes also can make it easier for employers to formally hire Syrian youth seeking stability.
1. Language learning: The top priority for labor market integration should be facilitating easier and more widespread access to and awareness of Turkish language courses. This includes offering basic and advanced Turkish language class options. Even companies that primarily serve Arabicspeaking customers prefer that their employees have some Turkish language skills. Vocational training programs will not be efficiently implemented until Syrian youth have the necessary basic Turkish language skills to navigate daily life.
2. Training accessibility: To reduce scheduling conflicts, courses and programs aimed at expanding the technical, entrepreneurship, and language skills of young Syrians should be offered outside typical work hours and in easy-to-access, convenient locations. Many Syrian youth request flexible training options due to their own sporadic work schedules and long workdays that include nights and weekends.
3. Life skills: Existing training should be rounded out with lessons in developing critical skills such as personal agency, stress management, and respecting others. IYF has seen that strengthening these skills carries benefits for youth in terms of work, particularly in the service sector, and life generally.
4. Market-driven training: Providing training on how to use textile and apparel machinery will help young Syrians find employment. The vocational requirements for these sectors are well defined. Additionally, vacancies are abundant, because workers with relevant skills are in short supply.
5. Policy changes: A multidimensional policy design would fight labor informality: • Shorten the waiting period to obtain a work permit. The current process takes too long, particularly given short production horizons in the apparel and textile sector. • Reconsider the quota, which has adverse effects because it contradicts market realities. • Review the six-month residency condition, which also has negative effects. • Reduce the annual fee for a work permit. Although it already has been reduced, the cost still presents another barrier to employment.
6. Employment agency changes: İŞKUR should tailor its programs and web presence to include and improve accessibility for more Syrians. • Hire Arabic-speaking staff. • Offer Arabic as a language option on its website, which is the primary source for information on upcoming training programs. 7. Social inclusion and support activities: To reduce incidents of discrimination and mistreatment and allow young Syrians to more easily enter and succeed in the labor market, underlying social and cultural tensions need to be addressed. While this type of intervention was not the focus of this assessment, the broader work of the SREP initiative points to its necessity.
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