A Promising Opportunity for the Integration of Syrian Refugees in Turkey: New Targets in Accessing the Labor Market through Vocational Education and Training

Abstract

In recent years, the wars across the world have dramatically increased the demographic mobility among countries. Particularly, the Syrian civil war led to the displacement of millions of people within Syria and also caused the leave of Syrians from their country. The responsibilities of neighboring countries have increased considerably. Turkey, which has been implementing 'open-door diplomacy' since 2011, is the country hosting the highest number of refugees in the world as of 2021. This study evaluates Syrian refugees' access to vocational education and training (VET) in Turkey. In this context, the importance of policies to increase access to vocational training centers (VTCs), which have a major potential in facilitating their transition to the labor market and supporting their social integration, is highlighted. In addition, new steps taken by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) towards the integration of Syrian migrants are discussed.