Workers Without Vocational Qualification Certificate Can No Longer Be Employed

In hazardous and very hazardous occupation groups, workers who do not hold a Vocational Qualification Certificate can no longer be employed.

Under amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Law and related laws and decree-laws, and in line with the associated Ministry of Labour and Social Security communique, starting in 2017 workers in hazardous and very hazardous occupation groups who do not hold a Vocational Qualification Certificate will no longer be employed.

Employers who continue to employ workers without the certificate will be liable for fines on a per-worker basis.

Accredited certification bodies are alerting workers to obtain their Vocational Qualification Certificates, and alerting employers to the fines.

The Vocational Qualification Certificate is recognized as equivalent to the Master Craftsman's Certificate in roughly 50 occupational fields.

In practice, the greatest certification demand is in the construction sector. All contractors have been briefed on the topic. Given that the certification requirement took effect at the end of 2016, site visits were conducted, followed by outreach to subcontractors and sub-subcontractors. Applications for certification are now being submitted. Officials stated: We share this message with everyone. Act quickly to obtain your Vocational Qualification Certificate and do not leave it to the last minute.

Officials noted that nationwide, the required level of attention to this legal obligation is not yet in place, and offered the following statements.

Across Turkey, in occupations classified as hazardous or very hazardous and carrying a Vocational Qualification Certificate requirement from the start of 2017, the total workforce is around 500,000, yet authorized bodies have issued certificates to only about 100,000 individuals.

With the recruitment requirement taking effect in 2017 across 40 occupational groups under the Vocational Qualification Certificate framework, officials stated that the policy, designed to bring the Turkish private sector up to international standards, should not be reversed.

A call was made to subcontractors, contractors, and workers in sectors subject to the certification requirement to take ownership of the issue.

Officials noted that exam fees are roughly 600 lira. The certification cost is a payment the worker makes, but the state refunds this amount as an incentive. The purpose is to bring workers' occupational safety reflexes, skills, and capabilities to a standard level.

To civil society organizations operating in the construction sector, officials said: Take ownership of this matter. Do not create the impression among people that the requirement will be delayed again or that it will not happen. This regulation is a necessity for the sectors involved. These people are site owners. If uncertified staff lose their lives due to safety failures, what happens then? If this work is not carried out as planned, pressure will again build on the state with claims that the sector is not ready. The state provides every incentive for people to obtain the certificate. What more can the state do? The private sector should not pressure the state on this matter. It should take ownership and do its part in the contracting sector, where Turkey ranks 2nd globally.