A signing ceremony for the cooperation protocol on vocational training was held between the Ministry of National Education General Directorate of Vocational and Technical Education and Aselsan at the company’s Macunköy facilities in order to contribute to the training of the required qualified labor force needed by the defence industry.  A large number of guests attended the signing ceremony of the protocol which was signed by the Minister of National Education Ziya SELÇUK, the President of Defence Industries Prof. İnsmail DEMİR, Aselsan Chairman of the Board & President Haluk GÖRGÜN, Aselsan Corporate Management Vice President Dr. Hakan KARATAŞ and the Ministry of National Education Vocational and Technical Education Director General Kemal Varın NUMANOĞLU.

Addressing the guests prior to the protocol signing ceremony, Aselsan Chairman & President Haluk GÖRGÜN stated that in the future, we will live in a world where smart factories with computers, connected to each other over the internet, will be established and the processes of manufacturing, maintenance & repair will be controlled by these computers. “Not only Smart factories, but also houses, cars, and hospitals will communicate with each other, and this brings convenience to people in decision-making processes. Today, 15 billion devices are in communication with each other today and it is estimated to increase to 50 billion by 2020. It would be a grave mistake to think that all these developments would not directly concern and affect us. Because the world of the future is shaped by this industry understanding, this is the key.”

Emphasizing that Aselsan is striving to develop a new approach in human investment, Prof. GÖRGÜN said that: “Aselsan is adopting a new approach. Aselsan considers humans as an asset not as a resource. We are trying to turn humans into an understanding that is taken care of, improved and valued rather than just being needed. Aselsan Academy was implemented with the protocol signed between Aselsan and YÖK (The Council of Higher Education) last year.  It has created an innovative model that brings together the strengths of cooperation between University and industry. Thus, by establishing an organic connection between Aselsan and universities, it became an external campus of the universities involved in the program. Aselsan Academy is the very first model of an industrial organization with its innovative solution for allowing personnel to develop technology and knowledge through their thesis studies and to ensure continuity. Currently, a large number of our employees continue to receive education at masters and doctorate degree levels.”

Prof. GÖRGÜN stated that Aselsan works in various different fields from cryptology to air defence systems, so they need people who are educated and trained in the fields that they need, in addition to the current curriculum. “In order to contribute to the training of a qualified labor force that our country and our defence industry needs, we have initiated cooperation activities with the Ministry of National Education General Directorate of Vocational and Technical Education (MTEGM). With the protocol we will sign today, we will take an important step towards the improvement of vocational and technical education for the training of a qualified labor force for the needs of the defence industry. We aim to implement the Anatolian technical program in the Aselsan Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, which will be opened under the protocol.”

President of Defence Industries Prof. İsmail DEMİR said that the protocol is only a beginning and pointed out that vocational and technical education is among the fields that have been talked about for years, but no significant success has been achieved. Prof. DEMİR, also added it is very important to provide suggestions for solutions while bringing up problems.  Prof. DEMİR said: “As the Presidency, I would like to state that we will encourage the defence industry in general in order to have cooperation on vocational and technical education not only with Aselsan but also with other companies. I know that there is a desire, effort, and an attempt in this direction in other companies..” Emphasizing that they will be open to potential teachers in these companies, Prof. DEMİR, stated that it is important to provide opportunities for the employees of relative companies who are experts in their field well and can be employed in education.

In his speech, the Minister of National Education Ziya SELÇUK expressed his gratitude to the authorities for signing the protocol at the Aselsan facilities because of its significance and meaning; and emphasized that just visiting this facility will broaden the student’s horizons. Indicating that children are now moving toward a different future, SELÇUK said: “Considering the children who started school today, they will begin to work in the 2040s. It is possible to imagine a different future for them and that my generation will feel like they come from the stone age.”

SELÇUK explaining that the period in question is given many different names, one of them being the “Age of Singularity”, said: “In other words, we are talking about an age in which the digital, physical and biological are in the same body and form. We are talking about a future where machines will also include biological and digital formats. Maybe in 15-20 years, we will have the opportunity to see machines, equipment and accessories that consist of these three together. There are some values that the children who are prepared for such a future deserve, and we are the people who are responsible for giving those values. Because we’re the ones holding certain positions.”

Minister SELCUK stated that today, many tools used in daily life are portrayed as “science from space” and said that especially some of NASA’s projects, developed for the needs of astronauts in space, such as “pots-pans” and “sphygmometer” have used in the daily life.

In his speech, Minister SELÇUK also evaluated the following: “I am sure that some of the things produced here will include some information that will satisfy the needs of ordinary manufacturers in our Organized Industrial Zone. In this sense, perhaps we need to say that we do have some competencies when it comes to working independently but it can easily be said that what stands out in this age is teamwork and team-building skills. In fact, we can speak of teamwork not only among people but also among institutions. We need to be a team and serve an ecosystem as partners. If we create this ecosystem and grow a habitat everyone would face the necessity of providing added value that they produce, not arithmetically but with an exponential increase required by the age of singularity. This is due to the fact that we are no longer have the chance to compete with the world with arithmetic or geometric increases. It is possible to make some exponential transformations with the opportunities provided by new technologies. And this can only become possible by creating this ecosystem. In other words, we need to bring people, institutions together and create a synchronization. In this sense, I believe that the formation under this atmosphere will deliver it.”

Emphasizing the importance of Aselsan’s work, SELÇUK said: “Everything you produce here becomes self-confidence in the hearts of our children. In this sense, as the Turkish nation, we are deeply indebted to Aselsan.”

Following the speeches, Minister SELÇUK, President of Defence Industries Prof. İsmail DEMİR, Aselsan Chairman of the Board Prof. Haluk GÖRGÜN, Vocational and Technical Education Director General Kemal Varın NUMANOĞLU and Aselsan Corporate Management Vice President Dr. Hakan KARATAŞ signed the protocol.

At the ceremony, Aselsan President Haluk GÖRGÜN, gave a model of the “Korkut” weapon system to the Minister of National Education Ziya SELÇUK. Minister of National Education Ziya Selçuk and the accompanying delegation later examined the products developed and manufactured by Aselsan which were exhibited in the hall.

The First Vocational High School for Defence Systems 

With the signed protocol, the vocational and technical training activities to be conducted in order to train qualified manpower for the defence industry were determined in cooperation with the General Directorate of Vocational and Technical Education and Aselsan. Under the protocol, the first Vocational and Technical High School for Defence Systems in Secondary Education will be established with Aselsan. In the Aselsan Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, “Electric-Electronic Technology” and “Machinery Technology” field programs with “Defence Electronics Systems” and “Defence Mechanical Systems” branch programs will be opened. The curricula of these branches will be developed and updated for the needs of the defence industry by a work team to be formed by Aselsan and MTEGM.

The field/branch courses accepted as eligible will be taught by Aselsan trainers and experts. Successful students will be provided with the opportunity of an internship at the Aselsan facilities.

Aselsan will also conduct activities under the protocol such as equipping and supporting school workshops and laboratories based on new technologies, providing employment priority to Aselsan for these graduates, granting scholarships to successful students of the school, providing material support to the school and granting scholarships to eligible graduates during their higher education if they study in the engineering departments of research universities acknowledged by Aselsan.