This is the story of Erdem Aktaş, a young man who has dreamed of becoming a car painter since childhood. An employment project under the EU co-funded NEET PRO Grant Programme is helping him achieve this dream.
“When I was a child, I used to play car games all the time. I also watched car painting videos on the internet. They would use spray guns to paint the cars before polishing them with machines. The cars would end up looking so beautiful,” says Erdem.
Erdem Aktaş paints machines with clear enthusiasm
He graduated from the Department of Machine Technology at a vocational high school and subsequently worked as a CNC (computer-controlled machine) technician at two different workplaces. However, he did not like these jobs due to the poor working conditions at both locations.
He noticed the EU-funded ‘NEET Carries the Machinery Sector to the Future’ project of the Aegean Regional Chamber of Industry (EBSO) online and applied, hoping to earn certificates that would help him acquire a better job.
Erdem describes the 5 weeks of classes: “The lessons differed from those I experienced in high school. We used CNC. I learned about machine parts and materials, plus I underwent a personal development course.”
Erdem has moved closer to achieving his childhood dream with the EU project
Drawn to the Paint Shop
After observing the paint shop at the freezer factory where he had applied for a CNC internship, he knocked on the door of the general manager, Murat Kurtalan. The paint shop resembled car paint shops and employed the same technique. Kurtalan recounts that day: ”He said he wanted to undergo a dyeing internship with us, not a CNC internship. I asked EBSO if this was possible under the project. They said that it was possible. We gave him a chance; we were absolutely delighted with his work.”
Murat Kurtalan, General Manager
After the internship, Kurtalan asked his foreman, Mehmet Emin Yavaş, what he thought of Aktaş. “I told him I was very pleased with him and suggested he continue working here. He is a boy who follows instructions diligently. Having been interested in cars since childhood, he has a natural talent for this type of work. He may even become a foreman here in the future,” says Yavaş.
Mehmet Emin Yavaş, the foreman
Erdem Aktaş is currently working at the factory where he completed his internship and hopes to one day move on to his dream job of painting cars.
“I think the pinnacle of this business is car painting. After learning the trade, I aim to open my own car paint shop. The NEET project has changed my life. If I hadn’t taken part in this project, I would have ended up working as a CNC technician, even if I didn’t enjoy it. Now, I work with very nice people, and I love machine painting,” he states.
His goal after learning the trade is to open his own car paint shop
The greatest need in our industry is for qualified staff
Metin Akdaş, a member of EBSO’s Board of Directors, talks about the project conducted under the EU-co-funded Labour Market Support Programme for Young People Not in Employment, Education or Training:
“The most significant need in our industry is for qualified staff. In cooperation with the EU, we will continue to develop similarly effective projects to meet the human resource needs of our industry and train qualified personnel who will increase the prosperity of our country.
Metin Akdaş, a member of EBSO’s Board of Directors
The Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, Ambassador Thomas Ossowski, stresses the importance of youth participation in the labour market: “Young people not only represent the future of countries, but also the future of the world. The EU supports the empowerment of young people in Türkiye and their participation in the labour market in all areas. We are pleased to see the success of this project.”
The Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, Ambassador Thomas Ossowski
About the project
The EU-funded project with a budget of € 325,000 aims to contribute to the employment of people aged 18 to 29 in the machinery technologies sector. Students have been selected through a cooperative effort of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Vocational Factory and the Turkish Employment Agency (ISKUR). 15 teachers were trained in Germany over 17 days, and they, in turn, trained 75 young people. Training has been provided at Konak Çınarlı Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, which renovated its laboratory as part of the project. After training and internships, students each receive a vocational qualification certificate. 3 female and 23 male trainees were employed in EBSO member companies.
