The opening of the PVC workshop, established within the scope of the “Hearing Impaired Individuals Integrated into the Workforce Project” carried out in partnership with Selçuklu District National Education Directorate and Selçuklu Municipality, and supported by Mevlana Development Agency under the Social Development Support Program (SOGEP) in coordination with the T.R. Ministry of Industry and Technology General Directorate of Development Agencies in the TR-52 Konya-Karaman Region, was held.

The opening ceremony at Adnan Akgül Special Education Vocational High School was attended by Selçuklu Mayor Ahmet Pekyatırmacı, Mevlana Development Agency Secretary General Dr. İhsan Bostancı, Konya Provincial National Education Director Murat Yiğit, Selçuklu District National Education Director Sami Sağdıç, school administrators, and many guests.

Evaluating the support provided by the Agency to the project, Mevlana Development Agency Secretary General Dr. İhsan Bostancı said, “Development agencies, working with the understanding that 'development starts locally' to contribute to the all-round development of their responsible regions, are development units that bring together public, private sector, and civil society organizations, and act as supporters, coordinators, and catalysts. As Mevlana Development Agency, under the leadership of our board of directors and in coordination with the Ministry of Industry and Technology General Directorate of Development Agencies, we continue our efforts to guide the development of our region and contribute to this development process through financial and technical support programs for businesses, public institutions, and civil society organizations in Konya-Karaman provinces, as well as plans and reports we prepare on various subjects. In this direction, our Agency has provided approximately 3 Billion TL support at 2024 prices to about 1600 financial and technical support projects since our establishment, mobilizing an investment of 5.5 Billion TL in our region with co-financing. In addition, as an Agency, we continue our efforts with our stakeholders to attract national and international fund sources to our region and use them in line with the needs of our people. In this context, within the scope of the Social Development Support Program (SOGEP), coordinated centrally by our Ministry of Industry and Technology General Directorate of Development Agencies and implemented locally by development agencies, we develop projects with our stakeholders for the social problems of our region and strive for the financing of these projects. To respond to the needs arising from the changing social structure, to ensure more active participation of disadvantaged segments of society in economic and social life, and to disseminate social responsibility practices, a total of 15 projects on different subjects, 9 in Konya and 6 in Karaman, have been supported by our Ministry of Industry and Technology within the scope of SOGEP, and a total of 49 Million TL has been allocated to these projects at current figures. Within the scope of the project that brings us together today, implemented in cooperation with Selçuklu District National Education Directorate and Selçuklu Municipality, a vocational workshop has been established at Adnan Akgül Special Education Vocational High School to prepare hearing-impaired students for business life in the field of PVC door-window production. After the establishment of the workshop, 27 young people continue to receive vocational training in this workshop within the project, and it is aimed that at least 10 of our students who successfully complete this vocational training will be employed in companies producing PVC doors and windows. I would especially like to state that our Agency has allocated 2 Million Turkish Liras to this project, which is extremely important for our hearing-impaired youth to have educational opportunities that will minimize their disadvantages in the field of employment. As an Agency, stating that our support for projects that will contribute to the development of our region and produce solutions to its problems will continue, I thank Selçuklu District National Education Directorate for their great efforts in realizing the project, and Selçuklu Municipality for their great contributions to the project, and I wish the project to be beneficial for our city, region, and country.”

Afterwards, Selçuklu Mayor Ahmet Pekyatırmacı, who came to the podium, said, “Of course, we all have duties in the field of education. Our provincial and district national education directorates are already carrying out all the necessary work in this regard, but municipalities, development agencies, and other institutions must also take on a duty, a responsibility in the field of education and carry out work on these issues. Thankfully, in Konya, we are achieving great things in cooperation with all our institutions, our municipalities, and our provincial and district national education directorates in the field of education. Today, we see one of the examples of this together. I do not see municipal services as consisting only of basic municipal services. Performing basic municipal services is already our primary duty, it is a must. We have no tolerance for the slightest deficiency or disruption in this regard. But besides this, I think one of the most important tasks we need to do is to create spaces and opportunities for our children and youth to receive more qualified, higher quality, and higher standard education by improving both physical conditions and equipment in the field of education. Our youth, our future, our children, are our most valuable assets that we always cherish. Of course, when it comes to our special youth, the matter becomes even more different. That's why we have built different buildings for kindergartens, primary schools, high schools, held different openings, and built workshops so far, but I see that the work we have done here has already started to bear fruit. I would like to thank our Provincial and District National Education Directorates, Mevlana Development Agency, and everyone who contributed to this project. Our school principal and administrators have put in great effort and endeavor here. When we visited the school, they excitedly expressed the project they wanted to implement here. Their efforts and endeavors in this regard also excited us, and thankfully, today we are holding the opening of this beautiful result together. I thank everyone who contributed. Hopefully, our youth, our special youth, our students will acquire a profession here, and after the programs here are completed, their status will change in their social lives, family lives, and individual lives. Therefore, a beautiful new beginning is forming for them here. I wish them all success. I hope they will take on beneficial duties, beneficial tasks, and it will lead to beautiful results for themselves and their families. I wish our workshop to be beneficial.” he said.

After the opening speeches, the PVC workshop established within Adnan Akgül Special Education Vocational High School was opened with the participation of the protocol and guests.