Turkey launches vocational upcycling and participation finance initiatives

In Turkey, new educational and professional development programs have been launched focusing on sustainable production and specialized finance.

The Ministry of National Education (MEB) and Akbank have initiated the ‘Dönüşümde Gelecek Var’ (Future in Transformation) project. This upcycling initiative, launched in Hatay, aims to integrate sustainable production into vocational education. As part of the protocol, 1,080 teachers specializing in furniture will receive training in upcycling techniques to enhance the skills of students in vocational high schools, supporting the Ministry’s Zero Waste and Climate Change Action Plan.

Simultaneously, Afyon Kocatepe University (AKU) has partnered with the Participation Banks Association of Turkey (TKBB) to launch a career training program focused on participation finance. The program aims to strengthen university-industry cooperation and integrate Islamic economics and finance into broader economic education. Officials noted that the program will provide students with direct contact with the sector and highlight career opportunities within the growing field of interest-free financial models.