Future Chefs Are Being Trained in Bornova

Bornova Municipality and the İzmir Chamber of Restaurateurs and Entertainment Venue Operators have signed an employment-guaranteed training protocol aimed at combating unemployment and providing the gastronomy sector with a qualified workforce. Young people who successfully complete the three-month culinary arts, restaurant management, and pastry courses to be held at the Evka-3 Culinary Workshop will receive a journeyman certificate approved by the District Directorate of National Education and will be directly placed in jobs. Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki stated that this cooperation would contribute to youth employment while directly addressing the sector’s need for qualified staff and skilled workers.

Bornova Municipality and the İzmir Chamber of Restaurateurs and Entertainment Venue Operators have signed a major cooperation protocol to reduce unemployment and provide the gastronomy sector with qualified human resources. As part of the project to be implemented at the Evka-3 Culinary Workshop, three-month, employment-guaranteed culinary arts, restaurant management, and pastry courses will be offered to job seekers.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki emphasized the serious shortage of intermediate-level and skilled workers in the market, saying, “Together with our chamber of tradespeople, we will make it easier for our young people to find jobs while directly helping to address the sector’s need for qualified personnel.”

Qualified Skilled Workers Needed by the Sector Will Be Trained in Bornova

As part of the protocol, the scope of the pastry courses held every year will be expanded, and a rotating training model will be introduced. Under the new system, the Evka-3 Culinary Workshop will serve as a professional training center, alternating between pastry training in one period and restaurant management and culinary arts training in the next. The courses will be conducted through hands-on training, with professional master instructors from the İzmir Chamber of Restaurateurs and experienced culinary staff from Bornova Municipality serving as assistant instructors.

Mayor Eşki: “We Will Support Our Young People in Their Job Search”

Speaking at the protocol renewal ceremony, Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki highlighted the economic and social importance of the cooperation:

“We will expand the pastry course we have successfully organized every year and introduce a rotating model: pastry training in one period, followed by restaurant management and culinary arts training in the next. There is a serious shortage in the market; our tradespeople are struggling to find qualified personnel in professions that are in high demand. As the municipality, we are taking a major step to address this shortage by working hand in hand with our chamber of tradespeople. We want to make a strong contribution both to training qualified intermediate-level personnel for the sector and to bringing new skilled workers into the profession. Through this cooperation, we will address one of the economy’s biggest challenges—employment—and provide the highest level of support to young people seeking jobs and professional training. We hope this will bring prosperity and benefit to Bornova and all our residents.”

Chamber President Doğan Kılıç: “Our Businesses Are Closing Because We Cannot Find Employees”

Drawing attention to the severe shortage of qualified personnel in the sector, Doğan Kılıç, President of the İzmir Chamber of Restaurateurs and Entertainment Venue Operators, stated that the support provided by Bornova Municipality is vital for local tradespeople:

“We are experiencing a major employment problem because our sector has a very high turnover of employees. With the strong support our mayor will provide, we will work hand in hand to train new personnel for our sector and address our staffing needs at their root. We have to succeed in this together. Unfortunately, there is no longer a sufficient pipeline of new workers entering the sector. We cannot find employees in the market, either. Because of this serious crisis, our businesses are closing one by one; we are facing an enormous staffing problem. Finding qualified personnel has become almost impossible. I would like to sincerely thank Mayor Ömer Eşki and Bornova Municipality for making this project possible. I am deeply grateful for this vital support to our tradespeople.”

Employment Guarantee and Journeyman Certificate Upon Completion of the Three-Month Training

The vocational training courses to be launched under the protocol will last three months. Participants who successfully complete the courses will have their professional qualifications recognized through a Journeyman Certificate and a Course Completion Certificate, both approved by the District Directorate of National Education. The strongest aspect of the protocol is the employment guarantee provided by the İzmir Chamber of Restaurateurs and Entertainment Venue Operators: qualified young people who complete the training will be directly placed in jobs at businesses operating in the sector.

Strong Cooperation, Professional Infrastructure

Under the protocol, Bornova Municipality will open the Evka-3 Culinary Workshop to course participants and provide the necessary physical facilities and professional staff support. The İzmir Chamber of Restaurateurs and Entertainment Venue Operators will be responsible for developing the training curriculum, providing expert instructors, and supplying the machinery, equipment, and educational materials required for hands-on training. Course participants will be selected carefully through the joint agreement of both institutions.