The first sector meeting of the Diamond Program, one of the most important links in the National Competence Initiative which aims to create a sustainable national defense industry competence ecosystem that will strengthen Turkey's leadership role in design, production and export, was launched from OSTİM.
The program's Sector Workshop was held at OSTİM Organized Industrial Zone, hosted by OSTİM OSB and organized by the OSTİM Defence and Aerospace Cluster (OSSA).
The program, conducted in collaboration with the Presidency of Defence Industries, the Ministry of National Education, and the sector, aims to strengthen the educational infrastructure of schools, align their curricula with the needs of the defence industry, and support students with practical training, internships, and employment opportunities.
The first sector workshop of the Diamond Program, which was launched in 13 Vocational and Technical Anatolian High Schools (MTALs) to train qualified technical workforce for the defense industry sector, and which includes Şehit Alper Zor MTAL from OSTİM, was attended by the Deputy Chairman of the Presidency of Defense Industry, Prof. Dr. Hakan Karataş, the Head of the Department for the Development of Educational Environments and Learning Processes of the Ministry of National Education, Ercan Alpay, the Head of the Defense Industry Academy of the Presidency of Defense Industry, Prof. Dr. Cenk Aktaş, the Yenimahalle District National Education Director, Muhammet Fatih Zengin, the Chairman of the OSSA Board of Directors, İbrahim Yarsan, OSTİM OSB Board Member Behzat Zeydan, OSTİM OSB Audit Board Member Mehmet Alkan, OSTİM OSB Regional Manager Adem Arıcı, school administrators, and industrialists.
“We will provide all kinds of support”
The opening speech of the workshop was given by Adem Arıcı, the Regional Manager of OSTİM Organized Industrial Zone.
Providing information about the OSTİM ecosystem, Arıcı said, “OSTİM is a region in Ankara where the first organized industrialization began. The scope of the Diamond Program, the equipment of these schools, and the subsequent process will be shaped entirely according to the wishes and demands of our companies. Therefore, I would like to state that as the Regional Directorate, we will provide all kinds of support.”
Arıcı, noting that OSTİM has educational institutions from primary school to university, shared the following views: “We are a region that supports education as much as possible and has a university that is considered the world's first industrial university. Having qualified manufacturing companies in the region is very valuable. You also have to consider the qualified workforce that will work for these companies. I thank all stakeholders who contributed to the Diamond Program. It is very important for us that this workshop started in OSTİM.”
“We will support the program in the best way possible”
OSSA Chairman of the Board, İbrahim Yarsan, stated that the Diamond Program will yield beneficial and positive results for all stakeholders. Yarsan said: “I believe that the issue of training personnel, which we have been waiting for for many years, will reach the right place with such a program. This process will not be easy; it will take time. The initiation of the project by the Presidency of the Defense Industry, the participation of the Ministry of National Education, and finally, as NGOs and companies serving the defense industry, we will support the program in the best possible way.”
“Students will be trained to meet the demands of the sector”
Ercan Alpay, Head of the Department for the Development of Educational Environments and Learning Processes at the Ministry of National Education, stated, “This meeting marks the first step in a very valuable endeavor for us. This program is not just an educational project, but a bold step taken for the future of our country.” Alpay emphasized that their aim is to integrate Vocational and Technical Anatolian High Schools with strategic sectors to train the qualified human resources our country needs, adding, “Our students will be trained in accordance with the demands of the sector, so that upon graduation they will become one of the cornerstones of our defense industry.”
“Our goal is to be able to produce a model, a system.”
Deputy Head of the Presidency of Defence Industries, Prof. Dr. Hakan Karataş, emphasized that the fundamental approach of the National Competence Initiative is to achieve a complementary ecosystem rather than one focused on competition.
Karataş made the following assessment: “The Diamond Program is one of its most fundamental and important sub-projects. We want this project to spread completely to all our cities in the coming years through its multiplier effect. We are implementing Diamond as a project that we envision being applied in all regions of Turkey. Why is this project so critical? Currently, there are over 90,000 people working in the defense industry. As our products are mass-produced, delivered to our army, and our export figures increase, we are gradually approaching the 158,000-person defense industry employment target envisioned in the 12th Development Plan. So, we need to increase the number from 90,000 to 158,000. We need to increase this number not only in terms of the number of people but also with the right skills. 46% of defense industry employees are technical personnel; technicians and those working in operations. As we move to mass production, we estimate that this 46% rate will increase to around 60% within 3 years. Our large companies now have to grow with SMEs. The transformation of our SMEs into subcontractors, and the transformation of subcontractors into main contractors, is our fundamental starting point.” That's our point. In the Diamond Project, our aim is to create a model, a system that meets the needs of the sector and our schools.”
“There is a paradigm shift”
Following the speeches, the Head of the Defense Industry Academy, Prof. Dr. Cenk Aktaş, gave a presentation on the Diamond Program. In his presentation, Aktaş shared the analyses conducted by the Academy, stating, "There is now a paradigm shift because, as you know, we have moved from being a supplier, a purchasing country, to a country that is becoming a leader in exports."
Cenk Aktaş stated the following: “We are no longer dealing with ready-made purchases and supplies; we are not just designing, we are designing and producing, and we are increasing this production in terms of quantity. We anticipate a transformation and increase in the workforce from engineering to technician and technical roles. Recently, we have observed that technical skills alone are insufficient. We must also incorporate behavioral skills. However, the indispensable element of this development process will be the active participation of the industry.”
In the final part of the workshop, a needs analysis study for the sector, conducted by Assoc. Dr. Sinan Keskin from the Defense Industry Academy, systematically presented the participants' views, expectations, and suggestions, particularly regarding vocational and technical education focused on the defense industry.
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