Context 

Nearly one in four young people aged 15-24 in Türkiye are not currently in education, employment or training, reflecting a fundamental mismatch between vocational education and labour market needs. Traditional technical and vocational education and training (TVET) remain largely classroom-based, leaving graduates with theoretical knowledge but lacking hands-on experience in the specialised systems and technologies that employers require. At the same time, sectors such as healthcare infrastructure, industrial automation and technical services face significant skills shortages. 

A key constraint is the limited availability of qualified workplace trainers able to supervise and assess learners in live operational environments. Rönesans has recognized that technical ability alone is not enough to upskill the workforce as structured mechanisms are essential for these individuals to become effective master trainers. 

Approach 

Through a partnership between Rönesans Holding, UNICEF's "From Learning to Earning for Youth" programme and Türkiye's Ministry of National Education, Gaziantep City Hospital, a 1,875-bed advanced healthcare facility, has become a working training laboratory. The partnership embeds 120 health vocational high school students directly into operational hospital infrastructure for four days per week, rotating through high-demand technical occupations including industrial automation technologies, plumbing and energy systems, and industrial maintenance and repair. 

The programme operates through three integrated innovations: 

Master trainer pedagogy: Rönesans employees receive formal pedagogical training from the Ministry of National Education to become certified master trainers. This directly addresses one of the main challenges of scaling apprenticeships as many companies have technical experts, but not necessarily the skills to teach their craft. These master trainers supervise students on live tasks, transmitting technical expertise alongside professional behaviours, safety protocols and real-time problem-solving. Students learn by observing, assisting and progressively taking ownership of tasks under expert guidance. 

Safe, inclusive workplace learning standards: UNICEF provides technical guidance to establish standardised safety, inclusivity and learning quality benchmarks within operational facilities, ensuring workplace-based training meets educational standards while accommodating live hospital operations. 

Multi-stakeholder co-delivery architecture: The Ministry oversees curriculum alignment; UNICEF contributes pedagogical frameworks and inclusion expertise; Rönesans provides operational infrastructure and master trainer capacity; and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) supports model scalability. Unlike traditional corporate social responsibility or standalone training centres, this model positions private sector operational facilities as active learning assets embedded within core business functions, turning hospitals and industrial operations into apprenticeship platforms without disrupting productivity and service delivery. 

Results 

The programme directly serves 120 students annually gaining verified competencies in specialised technical trades. By training Rönesans employees as pedagogically equipped master trainers, this approach creates institutional capacity that extends beyond individual student cohorts, establishing repeatable mechanisms for integrating future learners into operational settings. 

Rönesans has successfully demonstrated that apprenticeships can be value-creating investments for companies as employers gain stronger, better-aligned talent pipelines and internal training capability, while students gain practical experience in operational settings that better prepare them for employment. 

Rönesans is expanding the framework across its diverse business lines (construction, energy, healthcare and industrial operations), creating a replicable blueprint for other large-scale employers. Updates to TVET curricula, improved workplace learning standards and expanded teacher capacity will benefit a much larger number of vocational students across Türkiye, making quality, relevant and future-proof the regional skills system. Students report high satisfaction learning directly from working professionals in technology-rich environments, while employers gain talent pipelines aligned to operational needs.