Highlighting the industry’s growing need for qualified talent, the education committees of the Aegean Apparel Manufacturers Association (EGSD), the Aegean Apparel Exporters’ Association (EHKIB), and the Aegean Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (ETHIB) are relaunching the Industry and Vocational High Schools Collaboration Project, first launched in 2019.
The new phase of the project aims to maintain year-round communication between schools and companies while ensuring that schools’ needs are monitored more closely and addressed more effectively.
Emphasizing the critical role of qualified human capital in the future of the textile and apparel industry, the three organizations will continue their collaboration with vocational high schools during the upcoming academic year.
Under the project, which will continue in the 2026-2027 school year with a more structured and sustainable mentoring model, students will be given opportunities to gain a closer understanding of the industry, experience production environments firsthand, and explore potential career paths. The initiative also seeks to strengthen communication between schools and companies throughout the academic year and establish mechanisms for directly addressing schools’ needs.
What was achieved in the first phase?
During the initial phase launched in 2019, vocational and technical high schools in İzmir offering fashion design technology programs were visited as part of the project.
A total of 10 schools were included in the program and matched with 40 member companies. Students took part in technical visits and career days, while schools received fabric and accessories support from participating companies.
What’s new in the next phase?
With the relaunch of the Industry and Vocational High Schools Collaboration Project in the 2026-2027 academic year, the focus will be on establishing a more structured and sustainable mentoring model.
The new phase aims to maintain communication between schools and companies throughout the academic year, create up-to-date communication groups through which schools’ needs can be communicated directly to the relevant companies, and ensure faster responses to schools’ requests.
The project plans to regularly visit the 10 vocational high schools identified under the initiative, closely monitor their needs, and enable participating companies to build stronger ties with the schools.
It also aims to raise students’ awareness of the textile and apparel industry, foster a sense of belonging, and give them a closer look at different career opportunities, while new ideas such as establishing fashion libraries in schools are also on the agenda.
In the long term, the project aims to go beyond being an initiative that provides educational support and instead establish a lasting bridge between vocational education and the textile and apparel industry in Izmir.