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Neslian and Said are part of the one-two punch that marks a growing trend of volunteerism in cities and towns across Turkey. The first punch: dedicate yourself to a network of youth organizations as a trainer in ICT skills, building the capacity of thousands of young people to better compete in the changing Turkish economy. The second punch: after a couple of years of teaching and learning, trade the valuable work experience and fresh e-skills for a solid profession of your own.
For Neslian Sahin the result is a job as a graphic designer at Hurriyet, one of the leading national newspapers based in Istanbul — the cosmopolitan seaside city that bridges Europe and Asia. Despite her heavy workweek and dizzying deadlines at the paper, Neslian won’t leave her volunteer roots far behind. Every Saturday she rejoins her old telecenter to continue training, pro bono.
And for Said Cetin, the ICT skills and training experience have translated into a job in the international development sector. He now works as a coordinator for the United Nations Population Fund. Asked about the relevance of his new e-skills on the job, Said laughs. PowerPoint? “Every week, I have to create new PowerPoints.” They have to be interesting too, he explains, or the youth he works with will get bored. Said uses Windows Media Player to insert films into his presentations, including a recent PSA produced for the UN project.
Before becoming a student and trainer of e-skills at the national association Youth for Habitat, Said’s competency was limited to Word. A year and a half later, when he interviewed for the job at the UN, and then heard back in an email from the hiring coordinator, he wasn’t surprised to receive an offer. “I already knew I got the job,” Said recalled. “I just knew.” The employability generated by Youth for Habitat isn’t just about the ICT mastery, he insists. The newfound knowledge is a necessary element, but other qualities complete the picture: “volunteer skills, self-esteem, and communication networks” are essential to making the ready professional, according to Said.
Like Neslian, Said’s new success on the job market has not severed his ties with his old team. Despite his excellent salary and prestigious position he continues to volunteer at Youth for Habitat, even attending long weekend conferences to strengthen the youth association that helped create him.
Youth network, Jobs network
The home base — from which Neslian and Said refuse to stray too far — is an Istanbul-anchored network of 200 volunteer trainers and telecenter managers working in 43 cities across the country. Together the volunteers and their centers form an affiliation reaching many key sectors of society: local government, trade unions, industry, schools, and local youth councils. This multi-faceted approach builds communication with important stakeholders in the near term, and also leads to “sustainable development through local participation” in the long run, according to association dire