15.05.2025 18:41
The Minister of Labor and Social Security, Vedat Işıkhan, announced good news for disabled citizens. Işıkhan stated, "We are allocating a special quota for 10,000 disabled citizens across Turkey as part of the Labor Adaptation Program."
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Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan stated, "We are allocating a special quota for 10,000 disabled citizens across Turkey under the Labor Adaptation Program. This way, our disabled citizens will meet the working life in public institutions part-time," he said.
GOOD NEWS FOR DISABLED CITIZENS FROM MINISTER IŞIKHAN
Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan attended the 'Meeting with Disabled Civil Society Organizations' program organized by İŞKUR. The program, which introduced the Unhindered İŞKUR Platform and the Disabled Employment Reform Package, emphasized the importance of employing disabled citizens.
Before the program, Minister Işıkhan presented flowers to disabled children and their teachers who performed a dance show. In a speech here, Işıkhan expressed his great pleasure in sharing the Unhindered İŞKUR Platform and the Disabled Employment Reform Package.
Işıkhan stated that many applications and new generation working models implemented through İŞKUR open up employment opportunities for different segments of society, while also enabling individuals to be integrated into the workforce in a productive, conscious, and equipped manner.
"17 THOUSAND DISABLED CITIZENS EMPLOYED"
Stating that disabled individuals have an inclusive place among groups requiring special policies in working life, Işıkhan said, "Since 2002, we have facilitated the employment of approximately 550,000 disabled citizens. By 2024, this number has exceeded 45,000, reaching approximately 17,000 by the first quarter of 2025."
Işıkhan mentioned that more than 65,000 disabled citizens have benefited from on-the-job training programs and vocational training courses since 2014.
"INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO WORK LIFE"
Işıkhan added that another significant development in the Disabled Employment Reform Package is the Supported Employment Project, which will be implemented for the first time in Turkey under grant support, stating, "This model aims to integrate individuals with special needs, such as autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy, into the workforce. With this project, we aim not only for an individual to be placed in a job but also to ensure that the individual achieves long-term adaptation and success in the workplace. Because we know that individuals with mental or developmental differences can only remain in the workforce with environmental support," he stated.
SALARY SUPPORT FOR EMPLOYERS WHO EMPLOY DISABLED INDIVIDUALS
Emphasizing that the Supported Employment model stands out with three main support areas, Işıkhan continued: "First, we provide salary support to employers who employ these individuals. Thus, we will alleviate the economic burden that employers may face during the process of employing disabled individuals.
Secondly, job coaching support will be provided. Under this support, an expert who will be alongside the individual aims to support them both technically and socially, starting from the recruitment process through orientation, task adaptation, and daily workflow. These job coaches will not only assist the individual but also provide consultancy to the employer and colleagues within this ecosystem, contributing to the multidimensional execution of the process.
Thirdly, we will provide workplace arrangement support amounting to 25% of the total grant amount for projects aimed at increasing the employability of disabled individuals. We know that physical or ergonomic arrangements can directly affect individuals' continuity and productivity at work. In this context, we will provide financial and technical support to make the necessary adaptations in workplaces."
"GRANT SUPPORT FOR ESTABLISHING A WORKPLACE INCREASED TO 580 THOUSAND LIRA"
Işıkhan also reported that they made significant changes in the Regulation on the Commission Authorized to Use Administrative Fines Collected from Employers Who Do Not Employ Disabled and Former Convicts, stating, "Previously, Disabled Projects had to be submitted to the Provincial Employment and Vocational Training Boards. Unfortunately, this prolonged the application process and caused a waste of time. We are now removing this obligation. Thus, projects can be submitted directly to the commission, and the application process will become much simpler and faster. Additionally, the Commission could only meet twice a year, which unfortunately limited the number of projects evaluated. With the new regulation, we are removing this limit and allowing the Commission to meet six times a year. This way, we will be able to make more project calls and evaluate incoming applications much more quickly. With these regulations, we will provide significant speed and ease in both the application and evaluation stages of projects aimed at the employment of disabled individuals. Starting from the new year, we have increased the support amounts, further expanding our impact in this area. By 2025, we have increased the grant support for our disabled brothers and sisters from 400 thousand lira to 580 thousand lira," he said.
"10 THOUSAND DISABLED INDIVIDUALS WILL BE OFFERED JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR"
Işıkhan also provided information that job opportunities will be offered to disabled citizens in the public sector, stating, "We are allocating a special quota for 10,000 disabled citizens across Turkey under the Labor Adaptation Program. This way, our disabled citizens will meet the working life in public institutions part-time. They will also gain skills through important training that will support their transition to the private sector. We are progressing with an employment vision worthy of the Century of Turkey," he said.
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