Turkey's BIK and İşkur sign protocol to boost media sector employment

BIK-İŞKUR protocol media sector employment training program Turkey digital media

The Communication Presidency hosted a signing ceremony between the Press Advertisement Institution (BIK) and the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR). Attendees included Communication President Prof. Dr. Burhanettin Duran, Labour and Social Security Minister Prof. Dr. Vedat Işıkhan, BIK General Manager Abdulkadir Çay and İŞKUR General Manager Samet Güneş.

The "Active Workforce Services Collaboration Protocol" will cover 1,075 press enterprises – 652 newspapers, 366 internet news sites and 57 pending publications – providing nine‑month on‑the‑job training funded at the net minimum‑wage level with social‑security contributions. Participants who complete the training will receive guaranteed employment for at least twice the training period. The program targets job seekers, university students and recent graduates to reinforce local and Anatolian media, supporting the sector’s digital transformation.

The agreement builds on a 2016 partnership and a 2021 programme that trained 3,635 journalists. It aims to strengthen the qualified workforce in Turkey’s media industry through coordinated training, counseling and employment services.