With its strong brands extending from Kütahya to global markets, Gürok Group one of Türkiye’s largest private sector groups has joined the “Mentorship Project” through its subsidiaries GCA, RYG Makine and Gül Palas Hotel. The project is carried out under the coordination of the Kütahya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KUTSO), district chambers of commerce and industry, and the provincial/district Directorates of National Education.
The initiative aims to strengthen school-industry collaboration by matching industrial companies with vocational high schools based on their areas of expertise.
Within the scope of the project, companies collaborate with their matched schools on practical training programs, internship opportunities, scholarships/equipment support, career guidance, teacher-industry interaction, and employment-oriented partnerships. The core objective of the model is to equip students with the digital competencies required by today’s world and to contribute to the sustainable development of a qualified workforce ecosystem in Kütahya.
“The Quality of Our Youth and Their Access to Opportunities Are Critical”
Esin Güral Argat, Vice President of the Board of Gürok Group and President of the Kütahya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KUTSO), stated that they are pleased to be among the supporters of the Mentorship Project, which makes a meaningful contribution to the professional development of young people:
“We see vocational education not merely as an educational agenda item, but as a strategic area of development that carries Kütahya’s production culture into the future. Bringing together the qualified human resources our industry needs with the potential of our young people requires establishing continuous, well-planned, and results-oriented collaboration between schools and the business world.
The Mentorship Model is highly valuable in this regard; it enables our youth to experience real business processes in the field, gain the competencies required by digital transformation, and prepare much more strongly for employment upon graduation. As Gürok Group, through GCA, RYG Makine and Gül Palas Hotel, we aim to contribute to this process by supporting our schools in areas such as internships, practical training, mentoring and career guidance, while preparing our successful students for the professions of the future whenever possible.
Production lies at the heart of Kütahya’s development story; the most important factor that will expand this story is the quality of our youth and their access to opportunities. We believe that this collaboration will create lasting value for our city’s industrial ecosystem.”
First Steps into the Profession Through Practical Training
Gürok Group has structured its efforts in this field by signing the five-year “Strategic Cooperation in Vocational Education, Digital Transformation and Mentorship Protocol,” covering GCA one of Türkiye’s leading companies in the glass packaging sector RYG Makine operating in machinery manufacturing, and Gül Palas Hotel in the tourism sector.
The protocol includes structured and regular practical training for students, scholarships/equipment support and priority internship opportunities, recognition of high-achieving students, as well as post-graduation employment and career tracking mechanisms.
Additionally, the project foresees up-to-date technology training for field teachers at the production facilities of the mentor companies. “Master-Apprentice Meetings” to be organized at schools will also enable industry professionals to share their experience and expertise with students.
A New Generation of Learning with a Digital Transformation Focus
The collaboration also aims to integrate digital transformation applications into educational content. Students will be supported through next-generation methods such as AR/VR technologies, simulation systems, and hybrid learning tools.
Furthermore, the protocol envisions initiatives to raise awareness and build competencies in critical areas such as coding, data analytics, and artificial intelligence.