Institution Name: İzmir Commodity Exchange Foundation for Education, Culture and Social Integration
Project Title: Empowered Women in the Seafood Industry
Objective: To ensure the employment of 40 NEET women in seafood processing and sales enterprises as well as in fishing net manufacturing workshops through vocational training programs.
Implementation Location: İzmir
Grant Amount: 990.390 TL
Project Partner: Mediterranean Conservation Society (Akdeniz Koruma Derneği)
Project Duration: 12 months (October 2, 2023 – October 2, 2024)

Project Outputs

• Meetings were held with 20 companies to identify employment needs, obtain commitment letters, and at least two cooperation protocols were signed.
• Based on the achieved employment figures, a protocol was signed with İŞKUR (Turkish Employment Agency) to support participants’ access to on-the-job training programs.
• 26 NEET women participated in training programs on seafood processing, fishing net weaving, and retail sales (fish counter operations).
• Seminars were organized to strengthen women’s sense of professional belonging and to increase their awareness of marine resources and the characteristics of fish species suitable for sustainable consumption.
• All women who completed the trainings were supported in being placed in jobs at the companies that signed cooperation protocols.
• 20 women who completed the trainings were successfully employed.
• To ensure the sustainability of employment, follow-up activities were conducted to assess how well women’s expectations in working life were met. To address identified challenges, an information meeting was organized for employers on government incentives and state support mechanisms aimed at improving working conditions in collaboration with public institutions.
• A final report presenting the project’s achievements and outcomes was published.