06.01.2026 17:08
Under the "POWER - The Production Age of Youth" initiative, İŞKUR announced five main programs focusing on internship support, vocational guidance, integration for NEET youth, transition to first jobs, and support for university students. One of the notable aspects of the Youth Employment Initiative is the İŞKUR Youth Program aimed at university students. Within the program, university students have the opportunity to earn a monthly income of 19,250 TL by working three days a week at their own universities. Here are the details...
The government has taken a historic step for approximately 5 million young people aged 15-29 who are neither in education nor employment. The youth employment initiative was announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan under the name "Youth Production Age (GÜÇ)." The project aims to integrate 3 million young people into employment within 3 years, bringing them under social security coverage.
Prepared with the emphasis that Turkey's greatest strength is its youth, "GÜÇ – Youth Production Age" stands out as a holistic approach aimed at enabling young people to gain early work experience, aligning their skills with the needs of the labor market, and providing access to sustainable employment opportunities. The model encompasses a wide range of individuals, from those in education and employment to young people entering the workforce for the first time, including high school students, university students, and those who are neither in education nor employment.
INTERNSHIP SUPPORT: TARGETING 800,000 STUDENTS IN 3 YEARS
One of the most notable aspects of the program is the Internship Support aimed at increasing internship opportunities. Accordingly, an Internship Portal for high school students and a National Internship Program for university students will be managed under a single roof to facilitate access to internships. With the support of İŞKUR for wages and insurance premiums during the internship period, it is aimed to enable young people to access quality internship opportunities more easily.
According to shared information, 80 billion TL has been paid for internship support since 2022. With an additional resource of 26.2 billion TL allocated for the next three years, a total of 800,000 students are expected to benefit from internship support.
"MY FUTURE PROFESSION" PROGRAM: 750,000 STUDENTS IN 3 YEARS
The "My Future Profession" program aims to facilitate faster and stronger participation of vocational and technical secondary education and vocational school students in employment, planning to connect students with the labor market while they are still in school. The program includes one-on-one counseling, career planning, group discussions with employers, and guidance activities.
The program's goal is to provide individual counseling to 250,000 students each year, totaling 750,000 students over three years during their transition to employment.
NEET YOUTH INTEGRATION PROGRAM: 107.3 BILLION TL RESOURCE
The NEET Labor Integration Program (NİUP) aimed at young people who are neither in education nor employment is defined as a new generation working model. The program aims to establish a structure that supports young people's adaptation to working life and helps them acquire basic skills.
Within the scope of NİUP, it is planned to reconnect 150,000 young people with education and employment each year over the next three years, totaling 450,000 young people. The allocated resource for the program is stated to be 107.3 billion TL.
FIRST STEP TO WORK PROGRAM: 750,000 YOUNG PEOPLE, 215.8 BILLION TL SUPPORT IN 3 YEARS
The First Step to Work Program (Wage Subsidy) aims to support young people's entry into their first jobs by providing wage support to employers, thereby reducing the financial barriers to youth employment. The program is reported to offer support mechanisms for wages and insurance premiums, especially for young people aged 18-25 entering their first jobs.
According to the shared targets, it is planned for 250,000 young people to benefit from the program each year, reaching a total of 750,000 young people. The allocated resource for the program is announced as 215.8 billion TL.
İŞKUR YOUTH PROGRAM: MONTHLY INCOME OF 19,250 TL
The İŞKUR Youth Program aims to help university students gain work discipline and experience while continuing their education, allowing them to work in various fields with a flexible working model of 1 to 3 days a week. Students will have the opportunity to earn a monthly income of 19,250 TL by working 3 days in these roles.
The program aims to contribute to preparing students for the labor market with an inclusive employment approach during periods of high youth female unemployment.
In this context, it is targeted to reach 1 million university students by the end of 2028, with the allocated resource announced as 95.8 billion TL.
TOTAL RESOURCE 445.1 BILLION TL
Within the framework of the shared budget, the total resource size of the five programs is announced as 445.1 billion TL. Under the contribution to employment heading, the goals of integrating 3 million young people into the labor market and individually tracking 750,000 vocational high school students stand out.
GOAL: REDUCING YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT
Among the main objectives of the program are the permanent inclusion of young people in registered employment and the reduction of youth unemployment. Within this framework, it is aimed to lower youth unemployment to lower levels and increase young people's participation in production in line with the targets for the 2026-2028 period.