The new training period has started at the Diyarbakır Art and Vocational Training Courses (DİSMEK), operating under the Department of Social Services and coordinated by the Vocational Training Unit. The courses aim to help residents develop vocational skills, support their personal development and encourage their involvement in artistic production.

Led by specialist instructors at the Sümerpark and Göletlipark training centres, the courses will run for three months. Free classes are held in different groups on weekdays between 8 am and 5 pm and are open to residents aged 17 and over.

Vocational courses leading to Ministry-approved certificates

DİSMEK offers vocational training in cookery, pastry-making, women's hairdressing, skincare and beauty, textiles, computer operation, diction, handicrafts and basic accounting. Participants who successfully complete these courses will be entitled to receive certificates approved by the Ministry of National Education.

In addition to vocational training, courses in painting, çini (traditional tile-making), stone carving, wooden toy-making and vocal training/bağlama are also available, with participants receiving certificates of attendance. Through practical activities, these courses aim to help residents develop their artistic abilities, learn traditional production techniques and put their newly acquired skills to productive use.

‘We support residents in taking part in productive activities’

Providing information about the courses, Ömer Saman, Head of the Department of Social Services, said that the training not only helped residents acquire vocational skills but also supported their social lives by providing opportunities to pursue hobbies. He noted that the courses had attracted interest from residents representing different sections of society, both in the city centre and in the districts.

Referring to the role of the courses in tackling poverty, Saman said: “As the Department of Social Services, we also support people's participation in productive activities as one of the ways of tackling poverty in our community. Building on the achievements of these courses, we want to help many residents, as we have done before, find opportunities to take up a profession.”

Pointing out that Diyarbakır was an increasingly prominent tourism destination, Saman said they hoped the cookery and pastry-making courses, in particular, would contribute to employment opportunities in Amed. He also noted that courses specifically aimed at women were available.

Digital training support for course participants

Saman said that residents attending vocational courses also had access to digital training through the Digital Youth Centre. He added that e-marketing and basic accounting courses helped participants who had acquired vocational skills gain the means to set up their own businesses.

Joint training initiatives to promote gender equality

Saman said that they were working with various municipal departments, particularly the Department of Women's Policies, to provide joint training for course participants. He explained that these initiatives aimed to contribute to building a democratic society founded on gender equality and to encourage residents to take a more active part in social life.